- Phone Ringing -
- Jefferson County 911
- There's a gentleman in the bathroom
- Is the door locked or ? - Yes and we don't have a key
- Responding to West Washington street
- Help is on the way - Okay
- I have an EMS assist at three twenty eight West
Washington Street
- 10-4 You can change this to an overdose if you haven't already
- How many do you want? - Just give me one
- hmm, I wonder what's going on here?
Go ahead and light'em up
- He's going out the window clear the room
- We've got a gun
- Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that's is becoming more
and more prevalent in the drug world It's actually more potent
than heroin or morphine
and even some of its analogs such
as carfentanil are much more potent than that
Fentanyl has been seen in powder, tablet, capsule,
rock, nasal spray The forms are always changing
What we've seen in the last few years with fentanyl
is a rise in the number of deaths associated with its use
- First responders are increasingly likely to encounter fentanyl
in the line of duty We want to make sure that they have
the facts to keep them safe
- I got this on my hands!
- One myth is that just touching any amount of fentanyl
is likely to cause severe illness or injury or even death
and and that's just not true
Incidental skin contact with fentanyl
- Hey man what's going on?
- Fentanyl can be washed off with soap and water
- Wash your hand's you'll be okay
- You think? - Yes!
- you don't want to
use hand sanitizer because it can actually
potentially increase the absorption of fentanyl
exposure can come in many ways through skin contact
through the mucous membranes of your mouth,
your eyes, or the most significant risk is from aerosolized
airborne powder Another myth is that PP or personal protective
equipment won't protect you from fentanyl
and the truth is that in
most circumstances it will offer a significant level of protection
Gloves will protect from the skin exposures, skin contamination
of your hands A respirator mask will help will prevent the inhalation
of an airborne powder Wearing eye protection
can prevent the exposure through the
through the mucous membranes of your eyes
- Can you check her breathing
- Alright Ma'am are you alright?
Can you hear me?
- Should someone become exposed to fentanyl
some of the signs or symptoms that you would see would be
drowsiness or on responsiveness, slow or no breathing
and then constricted or pinpoint pupils
Those are the signs or symptoms you want to look
for in yourself or in your partner or in someone that you're
responding to
- She's not breathing better call EMS
- Nine sixty hotel sixteen
Can you get EMS on the way to 301 Jasper
street room 250?
- 10-4, sending EMS to 301 Jasper street room 250 - They’re on their way
- If you think you've been exposed to a substance that could
be fentanyl you want to take that very seriously
You want to alert a supervisor or a buddy tell them what you
think is going on and the
first step, is to prevent any
further contamination
The second step, is to not touch your eyes
your nose or mouth That way you'll prevent
further exposure
The third step is to simply wash the area
with soap and water
And finally if you think your clothes or some of your protective
materials have been exposed or contaminated
you want to remove those through
your standard decontamination protocols
More and more first responders are being provided with Naloxone
for use in the line of duty
You want to administer the Naloxone
per your established protocols
Naloxone is a very safe medication
and it can very rapidly
and effectively reverse the effects of fentanyl
and it can be life saving
- How are you feeling?
- Okay
- Having any trouble breathing or anything?
- No
I did get a little on my skin accidentally I washed off
with soap and water then gloved up
- Okay let me your pulse real quick
- The threat of fentanyl is real
but we're showing a multi layered defense that will keep
first responders safe while they do their job
to keep the rest of us safe