Tallapoosa Police are being proactive in joining the number of police departments training for use of, and having on-hand, cans of the life-saving Narcan. Narcan is a medication used to block the effects of opioids, especially in the event of an overdose.
Chief Scott Worthy, this week, said while his department has not been in a situation yet where the medication could have saved a life, he knows the potential is out there.
“We’re just trying to prepare for what may happen. It is moving this way and it is getting its way into Haralson which comes from Cobb and Gwinnett over to Paulding,” said Worthy, discussing the wider use of Narcan. “They use it all the time in Paulding County. It is unreal how many times they use it to revive somebody over there.”
Worthy said the medication, which enters the body through the nose, is lifesaving for both offenders and officers who may come in contact with lethal drugs.
“We have had officers that have come in contact with Fentanyl. It is a powder that you can breathe or absorb through the skin. There have been instances where officers have actually overdosed on the side of the road while they are searching a car or dealing with somebody that has this stuff,” relayed Worthy. “It is an officer safety and a public safety tool that we are looking into and trying to get prepared to use.”
Tallapoosa drug task force officer, Brian Rutherford is trained for the use of Narcan and is teaching fellow TPD officers to use the product. The city will start with a donated 20 cans and officers should have the cans and be trained for use by the first of August.
