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Dane County Sheriff's Office

The Dane County Sheriff’s Office Supports the Development of the Justice Department’s Law Enforcement Naloxone Toolkit

October 27, 2014
Contact: Elise Schaffer, PIO Phone: (608) 284-6142
Sheriff's Office

During the International Association of Chiefs of Police Annual Conference and Exposition in Orlando, Fla., U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder announced the launch of the Justice Department’s Law Enforcement Naloxone Toolkit. This one-stop clearinghouse will provide law enforcement agencies with important information about naloxone, a potentially lifesaving drug known for effectively restoring breathing to a victim in the midst of a heroin or other opioid overdose. Every second counts during an overdose and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office encourages law enforcement agencies to explore the toolkit’s answers to frequent questions about naloxone and samples of documents needed to implement an overdose reversal program.

 

Today’s announcement by the Attorney General is a follow-up from the July 31, 2014 law enforcement and naloxone expert advisory panel meeting that the Dane County Sheriff’s Office participated in along with other leaders from the law enforcement and public health community, academia, and the federal government. As part of the Attorney General’s expert advisory panel, the Dane County Sheriff’s Office was among the group to provide guidance on the development of the Justice Department’s Law Enforcement Naloxone Toolkit.

"After meeting with Attorney General Holder in September to discuss our nations opiate epidemic which has been identified as not only a public safety threat, but even more a public health threat.  It makes a lot of sense for us to explore the implementation of the Naloxone Toolkit here in Dane County, and I look forward to working with our law enforcement leaders and public health experts to move this program forward in our county before too many more lives are lost", said Sheriff David Mahoney.

 

Development by the Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance, the Law Enforcement Naloxone Toolkit includes 80 resources from 30 contributing law enforcement and public health agencies. The toolkit’s resources include sample data collection forms, standard operating procedures, training guides, community outreach materials, and memoranda of agreement – all of which can be easily downloaded by other agencies and customized for their use. Additionally, technical assistance is available to further support law enforcement agencies in implementing or enhancing a naloxone program.

Since law enforcement officers are often first on an overdose scene, their actions can mean the difference between life and death. The Justice Department’s Law Enforcement Naloxone Toolkit will give officers the knowledge and tools they need in the field to prevent overdose incidents from becoming fatal while awaiting the arrival of emergency medical services.  To access the free Department of Justice’s Law Enforcement Naloxone Toolkit, visit www.bja.gov/naloxone.

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