VIDEO: New Law Will Allow Firefighters, EMT’s, and Law Enforcment Officers To Administer Narcan

STARKVILLE ,Miss. (WCBI)-Many times fire responders receive calls about some who’s overdosed on drugs.

Currently, only paramedics are allowed to treat those cases, but that’s about to change.

In just a few days a new law will go into effect that’ll allow fire fighters, emergency medical technicians and law enforcement officers will all be able to help treat drug overdoses.

“If this can counter act whatever drugs they are using, this can help save a life and that’s what we’re in the business for,” said Starkville Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough.

Chief Yarbrough said with this new law, the state is taking a step forward to help combat the overdose epidemic here in the Magnolia State.

“I think it’s a good idea,” the chief said. “When we look at what’s going on with the overdoses, with addictions going on I think it something, the state right now being proactive instead of being reactive so that’s a good thing.

The medical treatment they’ll be able to administer is called Narcon.

It’s a prescription medicine that counteracts the effects of the overdose.

The treatment can be used in two different forms, it can be used as nasal spray.

“Basically it’s a syringe,” said Yarbrough. “You squirt it up your nose.”

And it can also be injected into the muscle of the upper thigh or arm.

“It’s an auto injector,” the fire chief explained. “So basically you take it, you put it inside of the leg and it in Jack’s right into the bloodstream. So it’s one of those two it has a counteracting effect of the drugs.”

The treatment kicks in right away and starts working within minutes.

Chief Yarbrough said whether firefighters should be able to administer Narcon has been a topic of conversation for quite some time.

Now with the law being ready to go into effect Saturday, he’s eager to begin training his staff on how to properly use it.

“Right now we don’t have any at all so we have to get it in first,” said Chief Yarbrough. “We’ll do training on it, make sure all of our guys can do it and don’t have any problems doing it, and once we get that taken care of we will go from there.”

The Mississippi Department of Health will create and offer training to the first responders before they can begin to administer the treatment.