Police, fire officials continue to tackle the opioid crisis

That number is growing and is expected to surpass 3,000 this year.

Police in Medicine Hat are keeping track of different numbers, including how many times they’ve used the life-saving drug, naloxone, on someone who has overdosed on fentanyl or heroin.

Inspector Brent Secondiak said the police service began carrying naloxone kits at the end of January and since then officers have administered it 41 times on 33 different people.

Of those, 32 people were revived at the scene and one person was revived at the hospital.

Secondiak added that 25 of those overdose calls were for men and eight were women.

“We initially bought it for our own officers to deploy, to use for themselves, but found quickly that members of the public were overdosing,” Secondiak said, adding that officers have not used it on themselves.

“It’s unfortunate we have to use it, there is this opioid problem and addiction problem in Medicine Hat, but I’m glad that we have it and we’re able to save those lives.”

The province announced in February that firefighters would also be trained in administering naloxone to patients and themselves.

Deputy Fire Chief Brian Webster said the men here have all been trained and naloxone was added to their trucks in August.

“We were doing training with medical first response as well from about January, February, through until June,” he said. “We started medical first response [around] the end of July and we brought the naloxone in not long after that.”

The fire department has yet to use the nasal naloxone while on a call, but say they’re prepared every time a call comes in.

by Ashley Wiebe

Police, fire officials continue to tackle the opioid crisis

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