NORTH ADAMS — Police negotiators and multiple emergency agencies responded Wednesday night to what authorities described as a "critical incident" inside a residence near Houghton Street and Owens Avenue where officials say there were no fatalities.

Shortly after midnight, Police Chief Mark Bailey told an Eagle reporter on the scene that a negotiator had spoken with a man in one of the houses but offered no other details, saying it was still an active scene. Police from Pittsfield and Lenox and Northern Berkshire EMS also responded.

North Adams Police Department posted on their Facebook account Wednesday night that it was responding to a “critical incident” on Houghton Street and to avoid it until further notice so first responders can “safely manage the situation.”

Houghton Street was temporarily blocked at its intersections with North and Brooklyn streets.

A drone was seen flying over the area and Bailey confirmed it was being used in the response. The neighborhood was not evacuated.

Authorities have not disclosed the nature of the incident. However, Bailey recently told city officials that the department responds to about 300 mental health-related calls each year and has expanded crisis intervention training for officers.

The department deals with about 300 mental health crisis calls a year, he said, which breaks down to about five to six a week.

It currently has 18 officers and seven dispatchers certified in crisis intervention training, which teaches first responders how to effectively deescalate people in a crisis. A mental health worker from The Brien Center can be dispatched to aid police as well.

Bailey also said the department is working with Adams and Williamstown to apply for a grant to create a regionalized mental health response program.

This story will be updated.