Okotoks Municipal Enforcement is the latest emergency service in Okotoks to have its members begin carrying Naloxone, an antidote for opioid overdoes, while on duty.
Municipal enforcement officers began carrying Naloxone injection kits in their duty bags two weeks ago. They are following in the footsteps of the Okotoks Fire Department, which began carrying the kits in February, and the Okotoks RCMP, which received its kits in November.
“I’m happy we’re carrying it now,” said municipal enforcement officer Andy Wiebe. “It’s peace of mind knowing we can administer this to someone who needs it, or self-administer if we need to, if an officer comes into contact with something.”
In February, the provincial government issued a ministerial order allowing first responders who are not paramedics to inject Naloxone, which counteracts the effects of drugs like Fentanyl and Carfentenil. Naloxone allows any first responder to administer the antidote.
The change was in response to a growing number of Fentanyl overdoses in Alberta. The number of deaths recorded has jumped from 29 in 2012 to 343 in 2016.
Municipal enforcement officers in Okotoks are carrying a nasal version of the antidote, which Wiebe says is easier to deploy than using a needle to draw Naloxone from a vial and inject it.
“With the nasal sprays you just pull it out and essentially stick it in their nostril, push it in and it sprays the dose right in,” said Wiebe. “It’s much easier and more effective and efficient to use, so if you come upon someone who has taken those opiates you can help quickly.”
He said officers are looking into ways to carry the Naloxone directly on their bodies rather than in duty bags, where they may be subjected to temperature variations or not be on-hand when officers are on foot.
Though Wiebe has never come across anyone who overdosed without having EMS on-site, he said it’s still important for all first responders to carry the kits.
“Fentanyl is becoming more and more prevalent, and it seems to be easy for the drug users to get,” said Wiebe. “I know there is Fentanyl in town, and there are people who are using. It’s out there. I think it’s just about in every municipality, small and large.”
Okotoks RCMP Staff Sgt. Jim Ross said his officers have been carrying Naloxone kits since November, but none have been administered to-date. He keeps extras on-hand in case an officer needs to replace one that has been used, but all units are still accounted for, he said.
That doesn’t mean Fentanyl is not present in the community, said Ross, but most often if there is an incident the officers are unaware or not first on-scene.
“I think we’d be naïve to say it isn’t here,” he said. “I think you can get a hold of it, and people can get it from other communities and bring it here as well. It’s everywhere.”
