Ravalli County Sheriff Steve Holton announced that the Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office has trained Deputy Sheriffs and Detention Officers in use of the opioid counter drug Narcan. Sheriff Holton said all sworn staff and the Detention Center have been issued and equipped with Narcan, in the event they encounter someone who might be a victim of an opioid overdose. Narcan is the brand name for the opioid antagonist drug Naloxone. Sheriff Holton stated the staff was trained and Narcan was issued around the first part of 2018. The original supply of Narcan was purchased with a $15,000 grant through the Montana Board of Crime Control and subsequent funding will be available through the State of Montana.
The Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office is using a nasal administration form of Narcan, due to the ease of administering it to victims. Narcan can react within three minutes of administration and has been proven to effectively save lives when administered to overdose victims. Sheriff Holton said all Deputies carry Narcan on patrol in case they arrive prior to medical personnel on an overdose call, and specifically to protect themselves and other law enforcement officers in case of an accidental contact with an opioid during the course of their duties. Sheriff Holton added that administration of Narcan will not have an adverse effect on a person even if opioid consumption is not the cause of the medical emergency.
Recently, two Ravalli County Deputies were certified as “master trainers” by the State of Montana, which allows them to train other Ravalli County Sheriff’s staff, and qualifies the RCSO to replace the supply of Narcan at no cost if it is used or expires.
Sheriff Holton said Undersheriff Travis McElderry spearheaded the project last fall to secure the original grant funding, and Deputies Joe Marble and Vlad Mykhaylyuk are the RCSO master trainers for the project.