Nassau County’s volunteer police officers who have completed training to use the opioid overdose prevention agent naloxone will be required to carry kits with the antidote while on duty, police officials announced Thursday.
The move aligns the county’s auxiliary force with the full-time Nassau County Police Department, whose officers are required to be trained in administering naloxone – also known as Narcan – and have the antidote on hand while on patrol.
It is the latest effort by Nassau County Executive Edward Mangano’s administration to combat fatal opioid and heroin overdoses throughout the county.
According to figures from the county Medical Examiner’s office, there were 51 fatal heroin overdoses and 123 prescription drug-related deaths in Nassau in 2014.
“By ensuring both police officers and auxiliary police are trained to administer and carry Narcan, we guarantee more lives will be saved from this deadly epidemic,” Mangano said.
Nassau County became certified in the state’s Overdose Responder Program in 2012 and has since trained 3,600 residents in administering Narcan through frequent training programs.
Narcan kits distributed to police include two prefilled syringes of naloxone, paraphernalia for nasal administration, a pair of medical gloves and an instructions booklet for using the agent.
Nassau police and ambulance technicians revived 258 people using naloxone in 2014, according to county figures.
“Although Naloxone kits have been a required piece of equipment on Nassau County Police ambulances for many years, the impact of it in the hands of our patrol forces has been tremendous,” acting Nassau County Police Commissioner Thomas Krumpter said.
The kits were financed through the office of state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who has implemented several other anti-drug initiatives, including the formation of a multi-state task force targeting opioid and heroin trafficking.
“By providing police officers with naloxone, we are making this life-saving overdose antidote available in every town, village and hamlet on Long Island,” he said.
