R.I. Sheriff's Department save lives with Narcan
By Robert King
Narcan has been in use by the Rock Island County Sheriff’s Department for two months now, and it has already been used twice to save lives.
Deputies Timothy Gillette and Christopher Work were able to see the drug in action in early October.
“On Oct. 4, I responded to a call in Carbon Cliff where a female was unconscious in a vehicle.” said Gillette.
The callers said that drugs were involved.
“When I arrived, I truly believed that she has passed,” said Work.
“Right away I grabbed my Narcan out of my squad,” said Gillette. “I went up to the vehicle she was in a comatose state, I couldn’t find a pulse and she wasn’t breathing. I injected the medicine into her nose.”
The woman began to come out of the comatose state after the administration. Work said you don’t really believe it’s ability to counteract opiates until you see it yourself.
“It truly made me believe in the use of the drug I mean until you can actually use it and see it work you don’t know,” said Work. “Then once you do, it’s, wow.”
The Sheriff’s Department is usually the first responder, sometimes 20 minutes before medical help can get there.
“Usually we’re the first ones on scene so this gives us the opportunity to provide something that’s needed right away to somebody that’s overdosed,” said Gillette.
Cutting precious time for the drug user to get help, where there is little to spare.
“It’s beneficial for use to not have to sit there and wait and wait and wait and watch someone,” said Work. “You try to do CPR but there is nothing you can do that’s going to bring that person back. To be able to administer something that quickly, it’s going to better than person’s life.”
The department was able to use Narcan again, successfully, just three weeks later.
