Polk County PD Narcan use saves life
♦ Nasal spray kit for officers reverses Tramadol overdose in local incident last week, but likely won’t be last in ongoing opioid crisis
It is a tool first responder’s hope they never have to use in the field, but one that came in handy for a Polk County Police officer last week.
Reports stated that Officer Kevin Robinson was out at a Johnson Lake Road residence on July 5 during the morning hours responding to a call of a person who was overdosing on a drug called Tramadol.
He found a 30-year-old male unresponsive lying on the couch, and though tried sternum rubs to bring him back, it didn’t help.
So Robinson pulled out the nasal spray of Narcan that officers began carrying in 2017 and shot it up the man’s nose.
The drug took effect, and the overdose reversed and the man came right back to consciousness.
The overdose victim was later transported to the hospital for further treatment, and the EMS personnel who carried him there gave Robinson his thanks. No charges were filed.
Last Thursday morning’s incident marked the first time that a Polk County Police Officer got to use Narcan in the field, which was given out to officers last year as the opioid crisis continued to grow. Police Chief Kenny Dodd said that it probably won’t be the last.
“I’m surprised that we haven’t already used it,” he said. “We got it last year from a grant. It is just a matter of being there. It has a lot to do with the