Fire fighters in West Kelowna now have Naloxone on them and they’re trained to administer the drug which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
The number of opioid overdoses throughout the province has gone up, leading many local fire departments to train and equip their crews.
READ MORE: First responders to use naloxone to reduce drug deaths
The City of West Kelowna says its fire crews responded to 38 overdose emergencies in 2015, and by June of this year, they had already responded to 23 such incidents.
“Although we would certainly prefer not to experience these emergencies in the first place, it is important to ensure we are equipped to handle opioid overdoses in our first medical responder role,” West Kelowna fire chief Jason Brolund said.
“Our sole focus is protecting our residents and ensuring we are the best equipped we can be to handle any emergency.”
Until now, firefighters were only able to help with breathing, performing CPR, using the defibrillator and administering oxygen until an ambulance arrived on scene.
Ambulance paramedics would then administer medication to counteract the effects of an overdose.
The province announced in January that first responders could administer Naloxone in drug overdose emergencies.
The announcement came in response to a growing number of drug overdose deaths in B.C.
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