Florida's transportation agency has installed new Narcan kits at four bus terminals and employees are being trained on how to use the nasal spray to stop opioid overdoses.
Pinellas Suncoast Transportation Authority Fox 13 PSTA is the first transportation agency in Florida to offer this type of Narcan training program, and Narcan kits have also been installed at PSTA headquarters.
“We transport a lot of people every day, and there are times when people become unresponsive. It could be because of a pre-existing medical condition, it could be something else,” Eddie Koester, PSTA's safety, security and training supervisor, told the outlet, “and we want to make sure we're equipped with the right tools for the job.”
“We know there are challenges,” Kester added, “and we're putting something out there that we think can help people in need around Pinellas.”
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The Pinellas Suncoast Transportation Authority has installed new Narcan kits at four bus terminals. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)
According to data from the Pinellas County Opioid Task Force, the county has seen a steady increase in accidental opioid overdose deaths since 2018.
Dan Zied, a former Pinellas County Sheriff's Department lieutenant who served on the force for 40 years and primarily worked in narcotics, is working to train hundreds of PSTA officers on how to use the new Narcan kits.
“This very small device and this very small amount of liquid can ultimately be the difference between life and death,” Zied told Fox 13 about the Narcan nasal spray.
Pinellas County has seen a steady increase in accidental opioid overdose deaths since 2018. (FOX News)
“It could be heroin, which is obviously an illegal drug. It could be prescription drugs,” Zied said of the drugs that cause overdoses that Narcan helps reverse. “It could be oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine. And of course it could be street drugs, fentanyl.”
The Narcan kits were placed in locations accessible only to PSTA personnel ahead of International Drug Overdose Awareness Day on August 31.
PSTA is currently working to educate the public so passengers know that life-saving resources are available at bus terminals in the event of an emergency.
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The Narcan kits were placed in locations accessible only to PSTA staff ahead of International Drug Overdose Awareness Day. (Fox News)
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“We may be able to pilot this in other counties,” Zied said, “but we're excited to take this further and help save more lives.”
Officials said they would eventually like to have Narcan kits on all buses.
