Personnel with the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office have been equipped with the overdose prevention drug naloxone as of this week, sheriff's officials said.
A report in June from the county's civil grand jury recommended that local law enforcement carry the drug, known by the brand name Narcan, to help prevent opioid overdoses.
The same day that report was released, Sheriff Carlos Bolanos announced that his deputies would begin carrying Narcan. This Monday, he said all sheriff's office staff have been equipped with the drug and have been trained in the proper administration of it and how to detect overdose symptoms.
Dangerous synthetic opioids like fentanyl can pose a risk to both the public and first responders. Earlier this year, an Alameda County sheriff's sergeant and detective were exposed to a dust cloud of fentanyl while doing a drug investigation in a motel room in unincorporated Hayward.
The pair had to be hospitalized and the detective needed Narcan to reverse the effects of the overdose.
"I am concerned for both our community members and our personnel," Bolanos said in a statement Monday. "We see the value in having this vital tool and I want all of my personnel to have access to it when it is needed."
October 17, 2018
SF Gate
By Bay City News Service
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