Crime & Safety
Heroin Overdose Reversed: Novato Officer Saves Man's Life
This is the second time a Novato police officer has saved the life of an opioid-overdosing patient in the past year.
NOVATO, CA – A quick-thinking Novato police officer is being credited with saving the life of an opioid-overdosing patient.
Novato police responded to a report of a man in cardiac arrest around 12:45 a.m. last Friday at a home on Estates Drive, where officer Brian Ringo determined that the 32-year-old had overdosed on heroin.
Family members had already performed CPR and given the man a dose of Naloxone, a medication designed to rapidly reverse opioid overdose, but he was not responding, according to police. After checking the patient and detecting a pulse, Ringo gave him a second dose.
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"The patient had an immediate positive response to the medication and showed instant signs of improvement in his condition," police said in a statement.
The man was transported to Novato Community Hospital, where he received further treatment. The patient was reportedly conscious and answering questions during his ride to the hospital, police said. He is expected to survive.
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This is the second time a Novato police officer has saved the life of an opioid-overdosing patient in the past year. Novato police Officer James Rinkor saved a 63-year-old man's life using Naloxone in August.
"This is the first save we've had of this in the county," Novato police Capt. Matthew McCaffrey said at the time. "We're happy we were able to do that."
In June 2017, Novato police received training on the use and administration of Naloxone from the Marin Department of Public Health. Officers have carried the medication in case of emergencies since July 2017.
The department works in partnership with RX Safe Marin to train and educate the public on the dangers of opioid addiction and responses to overdose.
More than 140 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In October 2017, President Donald Trump declared a public health emergency to address the opioid epidemic.
Related:
Novato Officer Saves Overdosing Man's Life
Image via Novato Police Department
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