They make nicotine patches too, but you're not satisfying your cigarette craving by rubbing a handful of loose tobacco on your arm.

The patches are a preparation specifically designed to be absorbed through the skin. Other forms do not work the same way.

First responders need to take precautions to protect themselves from myriad things, but the threat of "skin absorbed fentanyl" is incredibly low. The stories you hear are largely overblown attempts to score some copaganda points and perpetuate an ineffectual "War on Drugs." It's not about keeping officers safe, it's about maintaining funding.