OPP officers will carry naloxone
All front-line police will be equipped with the fentanyl overdose antidote while on duty
TORONTO — Calling opioids an “ongoing concern” in all parts of the province, Ontario’s provincial police said Friday it would equip all front-line officers with naloxone kits to protect them from potential exposure to fentanyl.
Each officer will be issued a kit with two doses of naloxone nasal spray while on duty, while members of selected specialized units — such as drug enforcement and community street crime units — will carry a personal kit all the time, Ontario Provincial Police said.
The OPP is not the first police service in the province to issue naloxone to front-line officers — Peterborough, Barrie and Durham Region officers are among those already equipped with the opioid antidote that can reverse an overdose for approximately 20 minutes to one hour, depending on the strength of the opioid.
Waterloo Regional Police said in early April that they expected to equip all frontline officers with naloxone by the end of April.
At that time, a 15-week training program for officers was nearly complete.
“We are ready to go live,” said Police Chief Bryan Larkin. “We are trained in CPR, first aid and this is just another tool in the tool kit.”
Hamilton police, on the other hand, have opted not to equip front-line officers with naloxone.
Hamilton paramedics carry it. Firefighters carry it for their own protection. But Police Chief Eric Girt says police are not health-care providers.
The primary purpose of the naloxone is for use if an officer is exposed. However, if there is a life-threatening situation and emergency medical services are not immediately available, officers will be trained to use it on members of the public, the OPP said.
“We take the health and safety of our members and our communities very seriously,” OPP commissioner Vince Hawkes said in a statement.
“With the increased prevalence of fentanyl, fentanyl analogues and synthetic opioid powders on our streets, there is a very real danger of exposure and these steps are being taken to ensure the safety of those we serve and our officers,” Hawkes said.
Community Safety and Correctional Services Minister Marie-France Lalonde said the opioid crisis is a “growing threat” in Ontario.
“Equipping OPP officers with naloxone kits will give vulnerable people timely access to this life-saving drug,” she said. “When someone is overdosing, minutes can make the difference between life and death. This initiative will save lives.”
Health Canada testing has determined fentanyl was present in 114 OPP seizures in 2016 from the mainly rural communities it serves, “demonstrating it is an emerging and ongoing concern in all parts of Ontario,” the OPP said.
Test results for 2017 are not yet available, but it said the number of seizures of containing suspected fentanyl appears to be similar to 2016 levels.
The OPP said it is also making the use of personal protective equipment mandatory while conducting suspected drug searches, seizures and sampling to help ensure the safety of officers.
Front-line officers will be required to wear protective equipment, including a respiratory mask, safety glasses or goggles, nitrile gloves and long-sleeved shirt or jacket, it said.
Rob Jamieson, president of the Ontario Provincial Police Association, said officers are seeing more fentanyl in various forms so the chance of exposure is increased.
“Having additional personal protective equipment and naloxone on hand could very well save the life of one of our members, or a member of the public,” Jamieson said.
Acting Staff Sgt. Peter Leon said officers will receive training over the summer.