CoxHealth provides Narcan, emergency tourniquets for law enforcement use

CoxHealth is partnering with local law enforcement to provide tools that can help first responders save lives in the field.

On Tuesday, CoxHealth EMS delivered 60 doses of Narcan and 60 emergency tourniquets to the Greene County Sheriff’s Department.

“This addresses two of the biggest risks for death in the public sector: bleeding and the opioid crisis,” says Dr. Matthew Brandt of CoxHealth’s Emergency Department.

“These are things that we know save lives. To provide all public safety personnel with the necessary tools,

CoxHealth has made a gracious donation to the people who are most likely to be the first on scene.”

Through our Medical Support for Law Enforcement program, CoxHealth’s EMS educators have also trained deputies on the use of both Narcan and tourniquets.

“In active shootings or major disasters, uncontrolled bleeding of extremities is the number-one cause of preventable death – and officers are the first responders in those incidents,” says paramedic and educator Russ Scanlan.

As opioid usage continues to rise, it is increasingly important for first responders to have Narcan, an antidote that reverses effects of opioids in cases of overdose. Having Narcan on hand is also a matter of officer safety, since incidental exposure to powerful, undiluted opioids can be life threatening for officers and canines.

“We’ve always had opioids as an issue, but in the last year we have had a huge increase in street opiates,” Scanlan says.

Paramedic and Educator Russ Scanlan talks with KY3's Paula Moorehouse. See KY3's report here.

The Medical Support for Law Enforcement program has been working with firefighters, SWAT teams and a variety of first responder groups to provide better care and response for the community.

“The fact that we are doing this makes me proud to be a paramedic for CoxHealth,” Scanlan says. “It helps us have better interoperability and it brings together partners in our first response community so we can all work together seamlessly.”