SARASOTA, Fla. — The abuse of opioids continues to heavily impact families across the Tampa Bay area and extend resources.
But now, some local responders have become empowered with more tools thanks to help from the state.
They'll be able to put life-saving drugs in the hands of regular people to help if someone nearby happens to overdose.
In a bid to get ahead of people who are at a high risk of repeat overdose, firefighters and first responders now have extra supplies of Naloxone, also known as Narcan, to give to family, friends and neighbors in places where they respond to an overdose call. This allows loved ones to jump into action before help eventually arrives.
"The hope is that if a friend or a loved one is seen to have an overdose, they are on the ground, not breathing and the friend recognizes an opioid overdose, they administer the Narcan," Dr. Marshall Frank, medical director for Sarasota County Fire Department, said.
Under the Florida Health Department's Helping Emergency Responders Obtain Support (HEROS) Program, Sarasota County first responders will leave behind at least one box of Naloxone.
This come after first responders went to nearly 850 drug overdose calls and administered more than 1,000 doses of Naloxone in 2022. That number is at around 400 calls for this year so far.
Naloxone is a nasal spray that helps reverse the effects of an opioid overdose within two to three minutes, even in cases where breathing slows or stops.
Officials say they continue seeing the use of various dangerous cocktails which eventually lead to overdoses, especially with fentanyl.
"Unfortunately, we see it put in other drugs, people are smoking with what they think may be marijuana or something like this and they end up having an overdose," Frank said.
While it has only recently begun to be made available to the public, Naloxone's been in the hands of sheriff's deputies and police for several years in Sarasota County.
Former Sarasota County Sheriff Tom Knight played a key role in making that happen several years ago and said first responders must have this additional tool in the fight.
"It's extremely important because first responders sign up to protect and save people," Knight said. "They don't care the background of the person, they care about the opportunity to do something good, to protect them and save them so it's really important for them emotionally and give them a tool in the toolbox to save somebody's life and hopefully that person becomes a better person and gets into a recovery program."
First responders will also leave pamphlets with information on local resources to help individuals beat addiction before it's too late.
"We get there very fast. The EMS technicians, they get there very fast, within four, five or six minutes. But if somebody can have their opioid overdose reversed in a matter of one or two minutes, that's obviously more beneficial," Frank said.