The Dunwoody City Council has honored police officers who recently saved the lives of drug overdose victims with the drug naloxone.
Police Chief Billy Grogan praised the officers at the council’s Aug. 8 meeting and noted that Sgt. Robert Parsons approached him a year ago about the drug used to save lives of opioid overdose victims that includes heroin. The department received a grant for the drug naloxone, also known as Narcan.
Each officer carries two injections of naloxone while on duty, Grogan said.
The situations in which naloxone was used:
— On July 13, Officers G. Wiencek and M. Vermillion responded to a local apartment complex in reference to a medical call. After evaluating the situation, the officers administered four doses of naloxone to an unconscious male with labored breathing. Approximately five minutes after the fourth dose was administered, the male regained consciousness. He was later transported to the hospital for further treatment. He survived this life-threatening event.
— On June 16, Dunwoody Police Sgt J. Dove and Officer N. Berryman responded to a local hotel in reference to a medical call. After evaluating the situation, and after being advised two individuals had possibly overdosed on opioids, the officers administered three doses of naloxone between an unconscious male and unconscious female. After receiving the injections, both subjects regained consciousness and were later transported to the hospital for further treatment. Both the male and female victim survived this life- threatening event.
— In Dec. 2015, Sgt. Parsons administered two doses of naloxone to an unconscious male suspected of being the victim of a drug overdose. That victim was also able to make a full recovery.
According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, overdose deaths in Georgia rose from 61 in 2014 to 134 in 2015.