Stratford Police carrying Narcan in response to opioid crisis

Stratford Police officers will now carry Narcan when on patrol in response to the rise in opioid addiction.

A Narcan nasal inhaler.

According to a police statement, the Narcan nasal spray will give officers an option to assist firefighters and EMS personnel with overdose calls. It will also “provide a level of protection for the officers and other first responders who might come in contact with Fentanyl and its derivatives which pose a health risk to responders and investigators.”

Narcan is a brand name for naloxone, a drug known for reversing the effects of opioid overdoses. Some states now require its police officers to carry naloxone to revive overdose victims.

Stratford police said the Narcan kits are with officers on patrol as well as the department’s K-9 units.

The Stratford Police Department worked in partnership with the Stratford Health Department, Stratford Fire Department and Stratford EMS to acquire the Narcan kids, train personnel to use them and deploy them.