Santa Cruz Police Officer Credited With Saving 2 People Suffering From Heroin Overdoses

SANTA CRUZ, CA — A Santa Cruz police officer is credited with saving the lives of two different people suffering from narcotics overdoses this year. Officer Bernadette Erlach used Naloxone (Narcan) nasal spray on May 24 to revive a person found unresponsive on the train tracks near Depot Park in Santa Cruz. Four months later, Erlach responded to a Santa Cruz hotel and administered the same medication to another unconscious victim, who appeared to be suffering from an overdose. The emergency medication revived the second victim.

Officials say the Narcan kits and the training on how to administer them are part of the Santa Cruz Police Department’s pilot program established in December of 2016.

“Officers train on how to recognize life threatening opioid overdoses from such drugs as heroin and prescription painkillers and administer the intranasal naloxone as an antidote,” police said via social media.

The program has been so effective that is will likely be expanded. The kits, which are paid for through a Substance Abuse Block Grant, are provided by Janus of Santa Cruz.

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