“We’re in an area where we have limited ambulance resources,” said Sinagra. “If they’re tied up, you could end up waiting and a couple of minutes can really make a difference.”
Police often there first
Like Sinagra, Town of Ulster Police Chief Anthony Cruise said that he’s eager to get the Narcan kits into patrol cars. Cruise recently appealed to town officials for clearance to participate in the state training and reimbursement program. Cruise said some Town of Ulster police officers were scheduled to take a training course at the end of the month that will allow them to give Narcan. Cruise said that it was not uncommon for cops to arrive on the scene of an overdose before ambulance crews equipped with the IV Narcan. Cruise also noted that New York State is one of several with a “Good Samaritan” law that protects people from prosecution for drug possession if they call authorities to report an overdose. Cruise said that overdose deaths sometimes occurred because friends of the victim were afraid to be truthful with first responders or took time to dispose of drugs and paraphernalia before calling for help.
“In that situation we’re there to save lives,” said Cruise. “Don’t worry about cleaning up first, just call 911.”
