Thu, 02/22/2018 - 12:30pm

Rockport Officer Chris Taylor, assisted by Rockport Fire Chief Jason Peasley, successfully administered Narcan to a male overdose victim in Rockport shortly after 10 a.m., Feb. 22.

The victim who was in critical condition upon arrival recovered and was transported by a Northeast Mobile Health to Pen Bay Medical Center for further medical evaluation. The man in his 30s had been found by another person at a residence.

This is the second successful administration of Narcan by Police in Camden in the last month and just a little over a month since officers were trained and equipped with the reversal drug, reported Camden-Rockport Police Chief Randy Gagne.

On Jan. 24, Gagne said two officers followed overdose protocol policy by confirming the opiate overdose before administering the Narcan to a man, which reversed the effects of his overdose. The man was transported to Pen Bay Medical Center for further treatment.

With the increased use of opioids, Camden and Rockport police and firefighters, like many of their counterparts in Maine, are carrying Narcan, the brand name for naloxone. Besides reversing the effects of an opioid overdose, it can help also protect first responders if they are exposed.

The Narcan being used is in the form of a nasal spray.

On Jan. 17, Justin Hills, lead a training program for Camden and Rockport police officers, full-time firefighters employed by the town and some of the volunteer firefighters. Hills is a paramedic, a deputy with the Knox County Sheriff’s Office and a reserve officer with the Camden Police Department.

The training module used by Hills was approved by the Maine EMS Medical Direction and Practices Board.