WILLIAMSON COUNTY,Texas (KXAN) — Williamson County EMS says it will teach members of the public how to administer life-saving overdose-reversing medication in an effort to improve the odds of survival amid the ongoing opioid crisis.
Stacee Henrichs, assistant outreach education coordinator for WCEMS, said the class will teach attendees how to identify the signs of an opioid overdose and how to administer Naloxone, which reverses an overdose in progress.
She said the class aims to familiarize people with what steps to take in the event of an overdose so they are prepared to intervene when needed.
"If they can recognize that it's an opioid overdose, they can get them the life saving medication and administer it before EMS ever gets there, rather than not knowing what to do, and then that person ends up in cardiac arrest," Henrichs said.
This year, WCEMS said it has submitted 105 presumed opioid overdose cases to Bluebonnet Trails Community Services for outreach. From July 2022 to December 2022, WCEMS said it submitted half that number, 55, for the same type of outreach.
In August, the Williamson County Commissioners Court proclaimed August 21, 2023, National Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention Day. In the proclamation, it reported that as of August 2023, Williamson County had 29 overdose deaths with 32 other deaths pending autopsy and toxicology results.
"It can happen anywhere, so having the training and knowing that you have Naloxone, or Narcan, readily available in a public area could help save a life," Henrichs said.
Last year, Williamson County EMS and other partner agencies began placing Naloxone in county and city buildings, local schools and churches to make the drug more readily available. As of November, 1,168 boxes have been distributed.
WCEMS said in the coming months it will start the next phase of Naloxone deployment. This includes at-home Naloxone and educational materials which EMS responders can provide to the public.
Residents wanting to learn how to use Naloxone can register for the class through the WCEMS website. The class will take place Wednesday, December 6, at 6:30 p.m. at 3189 S.E. Inner Loop in Georgetown.
