Conn. State Trooper Makes Narcan Save

Oct. 30--Just days after state troopers started carrying Narcan, a drug that can reverse an opiate overdose, a trooper saved a life.

It happened Wednesday night in Griswold, where Trooper Steven Gardner responded to a report of a 40-year-old who was unresponsive. After assessing the man, Gardner determined he was unresponsive because of a narcotics overdose.

Gardner administered Narcan to the man, who immediately regained consciousness. He was taken to Backus Hospital in Norwich and is expected to make a full recovery, said Trooper Kelly Grant.

"It appears to be the first save," Grant said Thursday. "We're pretty excited about it."

All 1,155 troopers received the required four hours of training in the use of the Narcan during October, and were issued Narcan beginning last week.

"All troopers are trained in it," Grant said. "We all carry a little pack that has the substance in it. We've been trained in how to determine whether someone's overdosed or unresponsive for another reason."

Gardner, who graduated from the state police academy in January, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Troopers have been trained to figure out whether a person who is unresponsive could benefit from Narcan, Grant said. The drug could help anyone who has overdosed on an opiate, including someone using illegal drugs or an older person who takes too many narcotic pain killers by mistake.

State law changed in Oct. 1, offering immunity to anyone who administers Narcan to a person who overdoes. Prior to the change in law, police departments were reluctant to equip officers with Narcan for fear of lawsuits if they were not able to save someone.

Before the change in the law, only paramedics administered the drug.

Hartford Deputy Police Chief Brian Foley said Hartford is considering its options now that the law has been changed. "It's something we'd like to do in the future," Foley said.

Hartford firefighters are first responders to medical calls in Hartford.

The push to change the law followed an explosion in heroin deaths in Connecticut and across the northeast.

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