Mayor’s stance on Narcan draws rebuke
MONONGAHELA — The mayor’s refusal to allow the city police to carry and administer naloxone, also known as Narcan, the drug that reverses opioid overdoses, drew a strong reaction from several residents at Wednesday’s city council meeting.
“I think the great officers we have in this town should have all the tools they need to protect and serve the people of this town,” said Anthony Necciai.
Kathy Guffey said her nephew died from a drug overdose Sept. 4, and might be alive today if police responding to the scene had been able to administer the reversal drug.
“They are still human being. They are somebody’s son, somebody’s brother, somebody’s nephew,” Guffey said. “If you can save someone with a Narcan kit, do it.”
Guffey said she got her kit free at a pharmacy.
“It takes less than an hour to be trained to use this, and you can’t be sued over it,” Guffey said.
“It’s not mandatory for police to use it. There is an ambulance right up the road,” Kepics said.
Although the mayor had asked that no further comments regarding the topic be presented by the public, several more people took the podium.
“If my son hadn’t had Narcan, he would have died,” said Stacy Dury. “I work in a hospital. I see overdoses six times a day. How do the police feel about it?”
Kepics said he polled the officers, and eight of the 12 didn’t want to carry the drug.
“A lot of them are afraid to use it,” Kepics said, saying they worry they will administer it incorrectly and cause a greater medical problem.
“I’m absolutely disgusted you would violate the 16th amendment to the Constitution of the United States by denying someone their life by being judge, jury and executioner. It’s absolutely immoral,” said Chad DeSantis. “There are no needles. It’s literally up your nose with a rubber hose.”
DeSantis said he took an online course to learn how to use naloxone and it was just a 20-minute animated video.
“I’ll look into it more,” Kepics said. “I’m going to see what other departments are doing and go from there.”
Kepics said police in Carroll Township carry Narcan, but one of their officers has 20 years’ experience as a paramedic.
“I worked ambulance for 28 years. People come out of an overdose combative. You’re putting your officers at risk there, too,” Kepics said.
Kepics said the main job of a police officer at a medical call is to contain the scene, keeping distraught family members away so paramedics can do their job, though Kepics did say the city has one automatic external defibrillator (AED) because it is mandatory for first responders, including police, to carry the devices used to resuscitate heart attack patients. He noted that the Washington County Sheriff’s department, as well as police in Hanover, North Franklin and Belle Vernon, do not carry Narcan.
In other matters, council awarded a one-year contract for garbage collection to Bigs Sanitation as the lowest bidder. Residential garbage service will cost $121.32/year under the new contract.
It was also announced that the police dog, Beni, recently suffered a back injury and had to have emergency surgery, depleting the K-9 fund and leaving a balance on the veterinarian bill of about $2,000. Donations made out to the Monongahela K-9 fund will be accepted at city hall, Kepics said.
Council also voted to continue the meeting to 9 a.m. Nov. 29 in order to address budget issues, including the 2017 tax assessment ordinance. The city has not yet received the new appraisal figures from the county.