OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — Agencies like the Douglas County Sheriff's Office and the Omaha Fire Department are seeing more overdose cases requiring an increase in the amount of Narcan used to save someone's life.
- When first responders arrive to the scene of an overdose medics distribute Narcan, which can reverse the opiates effects.
- To keep up with the need to administer more of the treatment, deputies and medics have to carry additional packs of Narcan while on duty.
- It's a problem that the Omaha Professional Firefighters Association say is becoming harder and harder to treat.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
In Omaha, law enforcement agencies say they respond to drug overdoses often but what they aren't used to is the amount of one treatment needed to save someone's life. We’re learning how agencies across our city are working to address this problem.
When first responders arrive to the scene of an overdose medics distribute Narcan, which can reverse the opiates effects.
But lately agencies like the Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) and the Omaha Fire Department have noticed that the typical dose of Narcan isn't enough, mostly on drugs like fentanyl.
"They're changing the chemical design and composition and it's more potent even than it was before, which is very concerning.” said Sheriff Aaron Hanson with the DCSO.
"Those are all synthetic drugs and so the Narcan doesn't respond to them the same way as we were accustomed to them responding to on overdoses in years past,” said Trevor Towey, president of the Omaha Professional Firefighters.
To keep up with the need to administer more of the treatment, deputies and medics have to carry additional packs of Narcan while on duty.
"One dose was sufficient in the past, now on average it requires a minimum of 2, and typically 3 or 4,” said Sheriff Hanson.
It's a problem that the Omaha Professional Firefighters Association say is becoming harder and harder to treat.
"If you can't treat it immediately then it, you know, could result in deaths which that's our job to prevent that,” said Towey.
If you or someone you love could be at risk of an overdose, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human services does have a program where anyone can get Narcan for free at participating pharmacies.
