Windsor firefighters and police not carrying naloxone despite free kits from province

Firefighters and police officers in Windsor have no plans to start carrying naloxonedespite a commitment from the provincial government to provideoverdose antidote kits free of charge.

• Ontario expanding fight against 'heartbreaking' opioid crisis with more safe injection sites, naloxone kits

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Ontario's Minister of Health and Long-term Care and Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services announced Thursday they would offer the drug that can temporarily reverse an opioidoverdose to all 61 police services across the province and 447 municipal fire departments.

The pledge is in response tothe ongoing opioid crisis thatkilled 336 people in the province between May and July 2017.

But Windsor Fire and Rescue Service Deputy ChiefAndreaDeJongsaid after discussions with the region's EMS crews "we've decided we're not carrying them."

"We don't typically inject or provide any drugs," she added."Typically in such a tight urban area EMS is meeting us at the scene either before us or very, very shortly after us."

Windsor police are also not carrying naloxone, according to Sgt. Steve Betteridgedespite the fact the opioid use is "a national concernand we're kidding ourselves if we think it's not in our city, because it is."

Policies could change

The force is also working with other first responders in the city to determine who might be best equipped to carry the potentially lifesaving drugs.

"Any time a police service considers having a standard issue piece of equipment for any officer, that is never a quick decision. It's something that receives, rightfully so, a considerable amount of attention and study," he explained.

If police were to be equipped with the kits, they would only use them after receiving training and eduction, Betteridgesaid.

• Windsor-Essex launches 8-point plan to battle opioid abuse

DeJongsaid the decision from Windsor fire is also not permanent and emergency services in the city will continue to monitor the situation.

"It's not that we've said we are not going to do it by any stretch, that could change next week if there was some very significant event that flips the switch to us utilizing it."