Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office will start carrying anti-overdose drug

The heroin epidemic in southern Colorado is growing, prompting more overdoses on it and other opiates. To fight the problem, more southern Colorado law enforcement agencies are opting to carry the anti-overdose, Narcan.

“Our usage has more than doubled,” Pueblo Fire Department Deputy Chief Rick Potter said.

Heroin overdoses happen often in Pueblo.

“It’s critical for us to have, it’s critical to have in the community,” Potter said.

So far this year, the Pueblo Fire Department has administered Narcan 124 times, double the use of the antidote in 2010.

“If someone has an overdose on a narcotic, we can correct the difficulty breathing,” Potter said. “Maybe they’re not even breathing, we can fix that problem with the administration of Narcan.

The Pueblo Police Department started carrying the medicine this past spring, so far officers have used it five times.

Colorado Springs, Fountain and Canon City Police Departments also carry the anti-overdose drug.

Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office’s 86 doses is thanks to a donation by St. Mary Corwin Hospital.

“This is an opportunity for us to do a little more, maybe before EMS gets there,” Captain Paul Toth with Pueblo County Sheriff’s Office said.

Narcan will be in each of the 56 marked Pueblo County Sheriff’s patrol deputy units.

Training for the deputies is set to begin next week. Training only takes 20 minutes because the nasasl spray version of Narcan is very easy to use.

“Once they get it, they’ll be able to start their breathing again,” Master Deputy Daniel Wells said, “because if they’re not breathing, they’re not going to live much longer.”

With 2,400 square mile size county, deputies say every second counts.

“It gives us the opportunity to do something about it,” Toth said.

As soon as training is complete, deputies will carry the Narcan in their cars.