KOOTENAI COUNTY, Idaho — As Idaho continues to battle illegal fentanyl coming into the country, agencies across the state will now turn to Kootenai County for shipments of a life-saving overdose medication.
Schools, health districts and police departments across Idaho will soon get large shipments of Narcan from Kootenai County Fire and Rescue. Hundreds of Narcan kits are being held at the Fire and Rescue headquarters, ready to be shipped out to agencies across the Gem State.
When Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Christopher Way was approached with the opportunity to distribute Narcan to state agencies, he jumped at the chance.
“We had the right people in place to meet the mission, and I think it was matching our skill set and our experience with what they needed to happen in the state," he explained. “My goal would be to reduce fentanyl overdoses to zero."
Last year, the only way to get Narcan in Idaho was from law enforcement and medical agencies. In November, the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) sent out a notice to law enforcement agencies in Idaho to lead Narcan distribution in the state. Way said participating in the program was a priority for him.
“We had a choice of either stepping in and helping out and being part of the solution, or complaining about the problem,” Way said. “We chose to be part of the solution.”
Kootenai County Fire and Rescue have already sent more than 5000 cases of Narcan to public agencies like school and health districts across the state.
“We’ve seen a dramatic increase in Narcan use over the last two or three years," Way said. "Fentanyl continues to be illegal, fentanyl continues to be a significant problem in our area.”
Way says the department received $1.8 million of RFP funding for Narcan distribution. Out of that funding, more than $200,000 dollars worth of Narcan has been shipped to 100 public agencies.
“We’ve cycled through a bunch just going through the holidays and catching up after the holidays. But we'll keep we'll keep enough to get quick orders out,” Way said. “And then we order more every week.”
Way says he’s glad the program is back in full swing, but there’s still more work to do.
“I think we need to provide better drugs education, we need to provide mechanisms for people to get drug rehabilitation and treatment programs,” he said.
Public agencies can request Narcan through IDHW. Way says they are shipping Narcan out as fast as it comes in.
Even though the Narcan that is being distributed out of Kootenai County Fire and Rescue, it is not for the general public. Chief Way says people who live in Idaho can get a prescription for Narcan through their doctor or the Panhandle Health District.
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