LIBERTY, Mo. — The Liberty Fire Department is increasing its efforts to battle the opioid crisis with a new initiative that involves distributing Narcan.
Naloxone, or Narcan, is a lifesaving medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.
The program's goal is to put Narcan kits into the hands of those most likely to need them. That's often friends and family members of overdose victims or drug users.
Assistant Chief of EMS, Pete VanNess, spearheaded the program. Van Ness saw the need for it firsthand.
“I’ve been a paramedic over 32 years," he said. "I probably ran my first opioid overdose 32 years ago. So I can think of hundreds of examples of that."
"I was like, ‘My God, why can’t we do this?’" "You know, where is this program because we’ve lost so many people to opioid overdoses. And if it had just been a little sooner, they could administer it.”
He believes that with enough people equipped with the medication, lives can be saved.
"This is more for the family versus the person who is affected by the opioids," VanNess said. "This is for the mother, the father, the son, the brother, the friend, the husband, the wife. It gives them peace of mind knowing there's something they can do instead of watching their loved one lie on the floor."
Here’s how it works: Liberty Fire Department paramedics and firefighters will carry the leave-behind Narcan kits whenever they respond to a suspected overdose.
Each blue drawstring bag contains two doses of Narcan, instructions on how to use it, and resources for treatment agencies.
When a 911 call is made for an overdose, the responding firefighters and paramedics will not only administer Narcan if required, but also hand over this kit to the family or friends who made the call.
“Usually, when we see this, somebody is going to be with the patient. We’ve seen this as family members, we’ve seen this as friends, they’re the ones who called 911," VanNess said.
The LFD's approach aligns with recent stats from the DEA showing a decline in 2024 in overdose deaths for the first time since 2018. The lower overdose total is a shift attributed to increased education and the saturation of Narcan in communities.
While Narcan is distributed through programs like LFD's, it is also available for free at various locations in Clay County. The Clay County Public Health Center provides more information on where to obtain Narcan. Call (816) 595-4200.
