The North Bay Fire Department has partnered with the Health Unit to put Naloxone on firefighting apparatus in response to the ongoing opioid crisis in the province.
"Our firefighters have been trained in the recognition of a patient suffering an opioid overdose and will now have the tools available to provide the necessary life-saving medication that will counter the effects of the narcotic," says Deputy Fire Chief Greg Saunders."The medicine will also be available to our personnel in the case of an accidental exposure at an incident.
"In consultation with the North Bay Paramedic Service and the North Bay Health Unit we have agreed that now is the appropriate time for the Fire Service to have the medicine available for firefighting personnel to administer when we respond to incidents involving possible opioid overdose. North Bay Paramedics do a terrific job managing these incidents. Firefighters having Naloxone is a necessary second option in cases where we arrive on the scene in advance of our local paramedics."
Overdose is currently the third leading cause of accidental death in the province with one death by overdose every 13 hours.
Link to original article in Bay Today.ca: Firefighters will carry kits to combat overdoses