Armed and helpful

POST FALLS — Some local law enforcement agencies will soon have an opioid "antagonist" as a tool when responding to drug overdose calls.

The Post Falls City Council recently authorized the police department to obtain a prescription for the nasal spray Narcan.

"With this safe tool, officers responding to drug overdose calls can quickly administer the antagonist to counteract the effects of the overdose," Post Falls Police Chief Scot Haug said.

Haug said, to his knowledge, PFPD and the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office are expected to be the first local law enforcement agencies to have Narcan available as early as this summer. Others are in various stages of exploration. County commissioners will consider a similar agreement on Tuesday.

Haug said emergency medical agencies have carried Narcan for many years and most apply it intravenously, but because his officers and those of most other area law enforcement agencies respond to medical emergencies as well, they are sometimes the first on scene.

"We've seen through medics that it can be an amazing tool to be able to bring people back," Haug said.

He said that having Narcan available can also be a safety tool if his officers are inadvertently exposed to heroin.

While Narcan went on sale over the counter at local pharmacies last fall, law enforcement agencies have to obtain a prescription to receive "public interest pricing" and a less cumbersome purchasing process.

Kootenai County Coroner Warren Keene, a doctor, provided the prescription to the police department.

"I am happy to utilize my authority to equip our first responders with another tool to save the lives of Kootenai County citizens," Keene said.

Kootenai County Fire and Rescue has agreed to provide training to officers and deputies on administering Narcan.

"The use of Narcan by the Post Falls Police Department and the sheriff's office will save a life," KCFR Chief Warren Merritt said. "We are proud to be partners with them in this initiative."

KCFR has also partnered with PFPD on other medical-related efforts in the past, including issuing automated external defibrillators to assist those in cardiac arrest and sharing a sub-station on the west side of Post Falls.

Spirit Lake Police Chief Keith Hutcheson is exploring the possibility of equipping officers with Narcan but he hasn't approached the City Council about it. Coeur d'Alene Police officials couldn't be reached for comment on Friday.

The cost, challenges of storing the product and the idea of leaving the application to medical responders are among the questions law enforcement agencies wrestle with.

Haug said he thinks the cost per unit for his agency will be between $70 and $80. Each officer will carry one unit with them while on patrol.

"The units can freeze so they can't be left in the cars," he said.

Haug said in years past, methamphetamine was the biggest local drug thorn for police, but heroin has risen to that infamous position in recent years.

"Much of the problem has come up as a result of pain killers and the inability for folks addicted to get access to them," he said. "They turn to heroin for the fix."

Steve Isaacson, KCFR's division chief, said sometimes heroin is mixed with other opioids such as Sentyl for an even bigger high and recreational users aren’t aware of what all is in the drug.

He said KCFR treated 32 patients in 2016 with Narcan.

He said Narcan is often applied to an unconscious person even if the situation is uncertain; there are no known side effects of using it.

Isaacson said that, while applying medication has traditionally been out of the scope of law enforcement, having officers join the opioid fight points to the severity of the nationwide epidemic.

"It was never thought of to be given to law enforcement because it was a pressing issue until more recent years," Isaacson said.

Haug said a fatal overdose of heroin occurred in Post Falls as recently as this week.

"We're seeing cases time and time again," he said.