Venango Co. sheriff’s deputies to begin carrying Narcan

Naloxone, or brand name Narcan, may be used to prevent drug overdose deaths. It is effective when used against opiates such as heroin and oxycodone, among others. (AP)

Venango County sheriff’s deputies are now carrying the opioid reversal drug naloxone.

Naloxone, or brand name Narcan, may be used to prevent drug overdose deaths. It is effective when used against opiates such as heroin and oxycodone, among others.

Deputies will be putting naloxone kits into cruisers today, sheriff Eric Foy said.

Three kits will be kept in cruisers that go home with deputies – one is a K9 unit, another belongs to the deputy handling domestic calls and the third is the sheriff’s vehicle.

A fourth kit will be kept in an on-call vehicle and a fifth at the sheriff’s office in the courthouse.

Deputies received training in the administration of naloxone, Foy said.

They are also to observe protocols relating to the storage of the drug after-hours, he said.

The naloxone kits will be kept in medical bags that deputies take inside with them when they have their vehicles at home.

The drug must be stored at room temperature.

Venango County sheriff’s deputies have county-wide jurisdiction, Foy said.

“We’re unique compared to Franklin and Oil City,” Foy said.

Deputies patrol from one end of the county to the other, Foy said. They are often in extremely rural areas where there is no immediate ambulance service and they could be in a position to save a life.

“I think it’s the right thing to do,” Foy said.

“We take that oath to protect and serve everybody,” he said.

An emergency medicine physician at UPMC Northwest – Dr. Randy Boggess – is providing medical oversight to the sheriff’s department for its use of naloxone.

Boggess has made himself available to deputies if they have questions, Foy said.

The sheriff’s office currently employs 11 deputies.