Fairfax County Police are upgrading their equipment to protect officers from accidental opioid overdoses.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently has declared that opioid overdoses have reached epidemic levels. Unfortunately, Northern Virginia has not been spared. Last year, there were 113 opioid overdose fatalities in Fairfax County alone.
As dangerous as these drugs are to the public, they can actually be more dangerous to the first responders who arrive at overdose calls. Fentanyl and Carfentenil pose specific risks to law enforcement because of just how potent these synthetic opioids are.
Earlier this year, a police officer in Virginia Beach became ill after responding to an overdose call. As they tended to the unconscious drug user and started sifting through his apartment to find a source of his overdose, the officer began to feel lightheaded and sick. After seeking medical attention, it is believed that the officer touched something in the house and absorbed fentanyl through his skin.
But the risk isn't only limited to incidental skin contact. At least 18 SWAT officers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, became seriously ill last year when they raided a house and accidentally knocked a bag of fentanyl off a table and onto the floor. The drug became airborne, and the officers became ill after breathing it in.
While the actual risks of airborne and skin exposure to fentanyl are still being studied, the Fairfax County Police Department doesn't want to take any chances. All officers will now be outfitted with new gear to protect them from accidental opioid overdoses when responding to calls. The new kit will include face masks, gloves, and glasses to protect officers from accidental exposure.
The Department is also purchasing 500 doses of Narcan, a nasal spray that counteracts opioid overdoses. When administered quickly, this opioid antidote reverses overdoses by blocking certain receptors in the brain. While the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department will remain as the main department for administering Narcan, police will now be able to assist as necessary and administer the antidote to officers who become unwittingly exposed to the drugs.
You don't need to be a first responder to be trained in how to administer Narcan. To date, more than 1,300 civilians in Fairfax County have already received the training. Fairfax County Police are urging anyone who knows an opioid addict, or who just wants to be trained in reviving overdose victims, to sign up for the free one-hour REVIVE! training course. Classes are usually held three times a month. You can learn more about Fairfax County's free public opioid overdose reversal training course here.
