Officers ready for opioid overdose response
Jeremy McClure
The officers of the Sioux City Police Department are now carrying Narcan to help someone having an opioid overdose.
“Narcan can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose within 2 to 5 minutes,” said Officer Jenifer Probasco, lead medical training officer for the department.
Officers with the SCPD are now carrying Narcan in a nasal applicator and can counter an opioid overdose in minutes.
Officers were all issued the Narcan in a nasal spray form. They were also trained in recognizing the signs and symptoms of an overdose such as unresponsiveness, pinpoint pupils, and trouble breathing normally.
“It’s not only people who are abusing opioids that are suffering opioid overdoses. People prescribed opioids can accidentally overdose or kids could accidentally get into someone’s prescription,” added Probasco.
Although Sioux City has not had as many overdoses as other parts of the country, there have been several documented incidents over the last few years. Sioux City Fire & Rescue reported providing Narcan to over 20 patients in the last year.
Narcan, which contains the medicine Naloxone, can quickly reverse the effects of the overdose and several law enforcement agencies have reported high rates of success when using the medicine.
The Iowa Department of Public Health provided the Narcan to the department and also provide train the trainer training to a few officers on the department. All officers have been trained on how to use Narcan during the last month.
During the last year, the law changed in Iowa making it legal for everyone to possess Narcan without a prescription. In addition to that, it also provides increased protections for people rendering aid during an overdose.