South County Fire offers free NARCAN kits, classes to inform community about opioid overdose

South County Fire is looking to enlist as many everyday people as possible to help first responders address the opioid crisis.

EVERETT, Wash. - The number of opioid overdoses in Snohomish County is quickly outpacing the number of emergency medical personnel. South County Fire is looking to enlist as many everyday people as possible to help first responders address the crisis.

The fire agency is hosting four free classes, ACT to Save a Life. It will teach people about the signs and symptoms of overdose, and how to treat it using NARCAN (naloxone) and perform CPR in case of emergencies.

"The likelihood of somebody in your inner circle overdosing is actually more common than you think. And so being able to provide this education could be saving your loved one, could be saving my loved one," said Shawneri Guzman, the community outreach manager for South County Fire. "ACT covers the top three things that can kill you in the first five minutes of an emergency before first responders arrive."

"It’s bridging that five-minute gap until the professional responders can get to you," said Shaughn Maxwell, the assistant chief of South County Fire.

NARCAN is the leading antidote to overdoses, saving thousands of lives in Washington and across the country. The fire agency will be providing 200 NARCAN kits in the southwest part of the county where officials said opioid overdoses are rising.

Maxwell said first responders are administering NARCAN now more than ever before.

"We would maybe pull that out of our medication box maybe once a month, if that. And now, the paramedics and firefighters, they’re pulling it out multiple times per day," said Maxwell.

Health officials said between the years 2017 and 2022, the number of opioid-related deaths reported in the county more than doubled.

Verdant Health Commission awarded South County Fire a $10,000 grant to purchase the NARCAN kits. Lisa Edwards, Verdant’s superintendent, said the increase in overdoses goes beyond abuse of fentanyl and other illicit drugs; it’s also right at home in the medicine cabinet.

"Loved ones and family members need to be aware. If you have a loved one who is taking a prescription now for any kind of pain management, they’re vulnerable," said Edwards. "We have senior citizens, an increasing growing population for us, who may have chronic conditions or pain management. And so, it’s very easy for abuse to occur."

"It might be someone who had a recent oral surgery—maybe a teen who had their wisdom teeth taken out, took too many pain meds and overdosed. It could be an older adult who fell and broke their hip and, through the confusion coming out of anesthesia and pain, took too much of their pain medication. These are the type of folks that we will see commonly overdose. And actually older adults are the growing population of those overdosing in our community," said Guzman.

The ACT to Save a Life classes will be held at the Lynnwood Civic Center Fire Station, located at 18800 44th Ave W. Anyone interested in participating must register, as space is limited. Classes will be provided on the following dates:

July 13, 5-6 P.M.
July 20, 5-6 P.M.
August 2, 11 A.M. – 12 P.M.
August 10 11 A.M. – 12 P.M.

With opioid overdose infiltrating more communities, neighborhoods and homes, South County Fire said education and keeping NARCAN handy is how people can prepare for the unexpected.

"Bystanders have a huge role in the outcome of whether a person lives or dies," said Guzman. "We want our residents to have the skills and the confidence to be able to act to save their loved ones."

Everett Lynnwood Snohomish County