The Pottsville Bureau of Police was among 300 departments and state police that were recognized March 1 for reversing more than 600 opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania.
No one from the department was able to attend the recognition event at the stairs of the Capitol Rotunda in Harrisburg where officers were thanked for their efforts.
Secretary Gary Tennis with the state Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs, Physician General Dr. Rachel Levine, various legislators, individuals from the state Commission on Crime and Delinquency, the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association, Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, state police and insurance representatives were in attendance.
“The magnitude of the addiction and overdose death epidemic in this state is astounding. At least seven Pennsylvanians die every day from a drug overdose,” Lt. Gov. Mike Stack said.
He said officers should be recognized for their commitment to protecting the lives of those in their community by using naloxone when needed. Narcan, otherwise known as naloxone, is a fast-acting overdose antidote that blocks the effects of heroin and opiates on the brain.
“Our police officers risk their lives daily so that others may be protected. Those departments and officers who have answered the call to carry naloxone have demonstrated their extraordinary commitment to their communities and willingness to go the extra mile to protect and serve. You are to be commended,” Stack said.
Pottsville Chief of Police Richard F. Wojciechowsky said Friday the patrol vehicles were equipped with the life-saving drug Nov. 18. He said officers used the naloxone twice, with one of those attempts being successful. On Jan. 15, he said officers used the naloxone on a 32-year-old Pottsville woman. That was the first successful use of the medication. The overdose prevention rescue kits are used by the police department in the event that several occurrences are present, one of those being the EMS not being there before police.
“We administered the naloxone on scene intranasally prior to EMS arrival,” Wojciechowsky said, adding EMS arrived almost immediately afterward.
The woman was taken to a local hospital later for follow-up care, which is standard procedure, he said.
He said the woman was not violent after being given the naloxone by the officers.
“She absolutely was not combative. She was confused and disoriented as was expected from our training. Other than that, we encountered no other problems with her,” Wojciechowsky said.
He also provided information on the unsuccessful use of naloxone to revive a man in December, who was born in 1976. An exact date was not provided for the use of the drug.
“We’ve encountered no difficulties at all with the program,” he said.
He said the officers have been “fantastic in their cooperation with participating in the program. The burden on the patrol officers is very minimal,” Wojciechowky said.
He said the naloxone is taken into the building if needed and is stored in a climate-controlled environment.
“It’s a little bit easier for us with 24/7 police because we always have people coming and going. If it’s a department with one officer or two officers working part-time, they would have to be very conscious of where it’s left,” he said.
He said the department has been able to replace the drug that was used without a cost to taxpayers.
Wojciechowsky said he is willing to talk to other police departments in the county if they would like more information on the use of naloxone.
Seventeen people died from drug overdoses in Schuylkill County in 2014. Heroin was present in seven of those deaths in Schuylkill County, according to a report released last year from the Drug Enforcement Agency.
Deputy Coroner Deb Detweiler said Saturday that 25 people died of drug overdoses in 2015. So far this year, about 14 people have died of overdoses, she said. Exact details of what drugs were present in those overdoses were not provided.