N.H. Fire Department to Host Free Narcan Training Event

June 07--DERRY -- The Fire Department will host a free, anonymous Narcan training event in town Wednesday night in the latest effort to curb the heroin epidemic that claimed nearly 400 lives last year.

All are invited to attend the training at 7 p.m. at the Ernest P. Barka Elementary School with no questions asked.

The Fire Department will train attendees in Narcan administration, CPR and rescue breathing and connect them with local agencies that can help in the throes of addiction, like the Center for Life Management, Parkland Medical Center and the Community Alliance for Teen Safety.

"The approach we're taking is what I personally think is important," said Battalion Chief Scott Haggart. "I think a lot of people are putting a lot of emphasis on Narcan and while Narcan does have the ability to save a life, it's not the answer."

The community event will open with a brief presentation from Chuck Hemeon, Derry's director of emergency medical services on the scale of the problem and the importance of calling 911 as soon as an overdose is recognized.

In 2015 alone, 439 people across New Hampshire died of a drug overdose, 397 of which were attributed directly to opiates or opioids. Hemeon said that 122 have died from opioid abuse since the start of 2016, and another 75 deceased are still awaiting the toxicology report that will tell if opiates were the cause.

"The Fire Department being the boots on the ground responding to overdoses, we see the impact these have on the community and see this as a way of helping frustrated family members dealing with addiction issues in their family," Hemeon said. "We want to reach out and introduce them to all of the key players here in Derry and in addition to that, we want to do training on Narcan."

Those who attend will be split into groups of about four to five people and sent to various skills stations where paramedics will show them how to prepare the drug in a Narcan kit for use and administer it, as well as how to perform chest compressions and rescue breathing. Each attendee will be offered a Narcan kit free of charge, provided by the state -- a value of about $60 to $80.

They will also be urged to call 911 at the first signs of an overdose.

"We want people to understand that Narcan may not always work, and the effects of the drug can outlast Narcan, so you can essentially reverse an overdose and then relapse," Haggart said. He added that first responders have been seeing a mix of drugs lately, with prescription drugs like Valium being used in conjunction with heroin. Narcan, he said, will only revive a person who has overdosed on opiates specifically.

Within four minutes of an overdose, the user can suffer severe brain damage or become brain dead.

"They can always say they don't want us or refuse, that's their right, but we can't get that time back," Haggart said of paramedics. "They don't always know what they're ingesting. It's not like the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) is inspecting where these folks get their heroin from."

Hemeon said he hopes for a large turnout, despite the stigma that comes with addiction.

"I hope people will take advantage of this. My fear is people don't want to air their dirty laundry," he said. "I see this as a community-wide problem. There are some very frustrated parents and caregivers out there...and we want to do what we can to help a family member and possibly save a life."

If you go:

Where: Ernest P. Barka School gymnasium, 21 East Gate Road, Derry

When: Wednesday, June 8, 7 p.m.

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