A man’s life was saved Wednesday night due to the quick action of local police.
A Vernon North Okanagan RCMP member was patrolling 24th Avenue Wednesday, Feb. 17, around 11:45 p.m. when the officer found a man lying on the sidewalk with someone standing nearby.
The officer determined the unresponsive man had possibly overdosed. A dose of police-issued naloxone was administered and the officer provided first aid.
“Our officers are frequently exposed to drug overdoses and part of our detachment’s harm reduction strategy in response to the opioid crisis is to equip and train our personnel in the use of naloxone,” Supt. Shawna Baher said.
BC Ambulance Service brought the man to hospital for further medical attention.
“Throughout Canada, RCMP officers have administered naloxone 990 times since they began carrying it in 2016 and it’s clear that having this option immediately available to our frontline officers can reduce the harm of an overdose and save lives,” Baher said.
READ MORE: North Okanagan-Shuswap sees drop in new COVID-19 cases
READ MORE: Salmon Arm, Kelowna, West Kelowna rank top 10 most resilient cities in B.C. for 2021
www.twitter.com
