Fulton firefighters will soon begin saving lives in a new way.
"The Fulton City Council approved Narcan, and we will begin carrying it on our trucks that come out of both stations," Fire Chief Kevin Coffelt said. "We'll have it in our medical bags."
Narcan, or naloxone, is a nasal spray that blocks the effects of opioids including heroin, which can slow down breathing and heart rate to the point of death. Narcan can rapidly reverse the effects of an acute opioid overdose, and if opioids are not in the system, it will not harm the patient.
"There's very little, if any, danger if you give it to someone who doesn't need it," Coffelt added.
Ambulances in Callaway County already carry Narcan, but sometimes the fire rigs arrive at the scene first.
"It's not only the drug user that this is affecting, it's the first responders, too," Coffelt pointed out.
For example, if a firefighter or police officer is accidentally exposed to fentanyl, that officer can be given Narcan.
The Narcan firefighters will carry is provided free of charge from the Callaway County Ambulance District. The ambulance district's board of directors approved an ordinance outlining requirements for first responders to administer Narcan in June 2017, with the district assuming responsibility for establishing the necessary protocols and training for first responder agencies wishing to use naloxone, district Director Charles Anderson said.
Missouri Statute 190.255 grants the authority for any qualified first responder to obtain and administer naloxone to a person suffering from an apparent narcotic or opiate-related overdose in order to revive the person.
"We already have it in our EMC protocols to use it," Coffelt said. "I want everybody in our department trained to use it. We'll start carrying it a couple of weeks or a month from now."
Cole County Sheriff John Wheeler announced last year he would implement a Narcan program for his deputies. Deputies began carrying the nasal spray in their vehicles in March, and it was credited with saving a life just a few days after it was put into service.
News Tribune reporter Jeff Haldiman contributed information to this article.