Police use Narcan to save apparent heroin OD victim

Just after New Castle County police were trained to use Narcan to reverse heroin overdoses, an officer revived a victim using his kit to revive an unresponsive man.

Col. Elmer M. Setting, chief of police, noted the first officers to carry Narcan kits only were trained weeks ago "and have already helped save a life.

"This is yet another example of exemplary police work and incorporating new ideas to serve all of our citizens, especially those in need of immediate life saving measures," he said in a statement.

About 3 p.m. Monday, Officer J. Smith responded to the 500 block of Homestead Road in the Hidden Valley Apartments near Wilmington for a report of CPR in progress, Officer First Class Tracey Duffy said.

Smith found the unresponsive 35-year-old man's roommate performing CPR and gave him Narcan, administered nasally, Duffy said.

The man later "began to breathe again on his own," she said.

New Castle County Paramedics and rescuers from Elsmere Fire Company continued his car, she added.

The man was taken to Christiana Hospital, but no additional information was available about his condition.

The rescue using Narcan won quick praise from county officials.

County Executive Thomas P. Gordon called the use of Narcan "another tool in the toolbox to help New Castle County Police officers save lives."

Citing "negative effects of the heroin epidemic," he said the county has been educating youngsters through its Heroin Alert Program, with an allocation of $500,000 for its expansion.

That funding, Gordon said, "allowed me to oversee the launch of the HeroinTrap.com campaign," which he said lets county employees "both educate and save people effected by heroin."

Public Safety Director Joseph Bryant Jr. said county police and New Castle County Emergency Medical Services "worked tirelessly to develop a policy and the training for our officers."

With the initial officers trained weeks ago and more trained and equipped Thursday, Bryant said, "The end result is the rescue of a man suffering from an apparent opioid overdose through the use of Narcan."

Contact robin brown at (302) 324-2856 or rbrown@delawareonline.com. Find her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter @rbrowndelaware.