March 13, 2013
Lindenhurst EMT Saves Overdose Victim
Members of the Lindenhurst Fire Department saved a 22-year-old man who overdosed on heroin in Lindenhurst this afternoon.
Emergency Medical Technician Ron Tappen responded to an ambulance call at 3:20 p.m. and upon arrival at a local parking lot he found an unresponsive man. Tappen noted that the man was breathing only four times per minute and had a hypodermic needle lying next to him.
Tappen administered intranasal Narcan, and the man regained consciousness immediately. The man, who stated that he had shot up heroin, was immediately transported to Good Samaritan Hospital by the Lindenhurst Fire Department ambulance.
“The use of Narcan has saved lives in Suffolk County and I am thankful that EMT’s have the ability to administer this drug through Suffolk County’s Pilot program,” said County Executive Bellone.
“I commend the staff of our Division of Emergency Medical Services for doing an outstanding job in training the county’s basic EMTs in the administration of this life-saving antidote.”
The Suffolk County Department of Health Services coordinates the New York State Department of Health pilot program involving the administration of intranasal Narcan by Basic Life Support technicians, including local police officers.
Narcan, is a prescription drug used to reverse opiate overdoses. It has been used by Advanced Life Support technicians in Suffolk County for years.