The Fire Department plans to train more first-responders on what to do when someone overdoses on opioids.
The Arkansas Department of Health recently awarded the department $9,000, which will mostly pay overtime to staff members who will train outside agencies. This is the first time the department has received the grant, Fire Chief Tom Jenkins said. The idea is for larger agencies, such as the Rogers Fire Department, to train rural and volunteer departments that don't have as much money and resources about how to administer Narcan.
Narcan is a drug commonly known as naloxone that can stop an overdose in an emergency situation, said Joe Martin, substance misuse section chief at the Department of Health. The grant will pay for Narcan for the agencies going through the training, he said.