The Williamson County EMS Community Health Paramedic program and Public Education program have begun coordinated efforts with Round Rock Independent School District and other local school districts to make Narcan more available to staff, students or visitors on campus. Narcan is a medication used for the emergency treatment of a suspected opioid overdose. The Narcan is co-located with AEDs so that it can be found easily in an emergency situation.
"We are incredibly happy to partner with Round Rock ISD to co-locate Narcan in the AEDs within the Round Rock School District,” said Amy Jarosek, clinical captain for the Community Health Paramedic program. “We appreciate our partnerships with Bluebonnet Trails Community Services and Round Rock Fire Department, who continue to make this effort possible."
The deployment of Narcan with AEDs began at Round Rock ISD high schools during the end of March with the help of the Round Rock Fire Department’s Crisis Response Unit.
“We are thankful for the partnership to increase access to this life-saving medication, as the safety of our students and staff is most important," said Brandy Hafner, Round Rock ISD Director of Health Services. "Our district's Narcan program is young but growing. We look forward to training our district staff to support emergencies and continuing to find opportunities to keep our students safe.”
Narcan has also been placed with AEDs at Granger ISD, Coupland ISD, Thrall ISD and Leander ISD elementary schools. The life-saving drug has also been co-located at all Williamson County buildings, City of Leander, City of Taylor, and the City of Hutto buildings. The Williamson County EMS Community Health Paramedic program and Public Education program are also coordinating with other educational institutions and government entities to make Narcan available to anyone in need.
“As first responders, we know firsthand the devastating impact that opioid overdoses can have on individuals and families, and we are excited to work with our community partners to provide this incredibly effective resource to our schools, “ said Captain Darwin Shell with the Round Rock Fire Department’s Community Risk Reduction division. “Equipping school staff with this life-saving medication could mean the difference between life and death in the event of an overdose.”
This effort is being facilitated by Bluebonnet Trails Community Services. WilCo’s public education team has developed training on opioid overdose recognition and treatment. That training is available by request from the public. The Narcan provided with the AEDs is a nasal spray. A video showing how to use it is available here.