Ill. Fire Department Starts Narcan Leave Behind Program

Commercial-News, Danville, Ill.

Beginning today, the Danville Fire Division in partnership with the Champaign Health Department and Prompt (Partnership to Reduce Opiate Mortality and Prompt Training) will begin a Narcan Leave Behind Program.

The services are supported in-full or in-part by a contract to the Champaign Health Department from the Illinois Department of Human Services, Department of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery, as part of the Illinois Opioid-State Targeted Response Grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration.

According to the National Safety Council, deaths from opioid overdose have tripled in the last 20 years, reaching more than 43,000 in 2017. For the first time in history an American is more likely to die from drug overdose (1 in 93) than a car accident (1 in 103).

In 2017 Danville emergency responders provided Narcan to 163 patients. In 2018 the Danville emergency responders provided Narcan to 113 patients. In 2019 Narcan was provided to 183 patients.

Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a medication called an opioid antagonist used to counter the effects of opioid overdose, for example a morphine or heroin overdose.

This initiative involves firefighters and paramedics leaving behind two 4mg doses of Narcan at homes where overdoses have occurred. The goal of this Leave Behind Program is to get Narcan into the hands of family members of loved ones who have overdosed.

The Danville Fire Division will also leave instructions on ways to get help with substance abuse disorders as well as how to use the Narcan.

For concerned citizens wanting to learn more about the program or to pick up a kit, contact Lt. Chris McMahon at 217-431-2371.

The Danville Fire Division joins Pittsburgh, Peoria, Tacoma and New York fire departments in taking part in this program. This program has proven to save lives and has also increased the number of people seeking treatment for substance abuse disorder.