The Bella Vista City Council discussed a new police department policy for the use of intranasal naloxone, an opioid blocker that officers can carry to counteract overdoses.
Mayor Peter Christie explained that the police will be receiving 40 units of the drug through the Arkansas Naloxone Emergency Response Project, a Blue Cross Blue Shield-funded program to provide training and medical supplies to police agencies.
The training and drugs will be provided at no charge, according to documentation provided by the city, and the drugs will be given once the police department meets all requirements, including adoption of a naloxone model policy.
The drug will be administered intranasally and functions as an opioid antagonist, blocking the brain's receptors for the drug, Christie said.
"It's quite interesting," he said. "This will be procured by the police department at no charge. ... Unfortunately it's become necessary to deploy this."
Some drugs, like the synthetic opioid fentanyl, are becoming strong enough that even minor, incidental exposure could place someone in danger, Christie said.
Police Capt. Tim Cook said each of these units is good for a single use but have a lengthy shelf life. The drug will be checked out, he said, rather than being in cars, which will help the doses last longer.
It doesn't have any side effects, he said, and can be administered safely for someone who does not have any opioids in their system.
Under the proposed policy, nalaxone will be provided to CPR-certified officers who have also taken intranasal nalaxone training through the Criminal Justice Institute and been familiarized with the department's policy. A patrol unit will be dispatched in addition to medics if there is an overdose call, and if police arrive before EMS personnel and determine the patient is suffering from an opiate overdose, they are to administer four milligrams of nalaxone intranasally.
Officers would also be required to use body substance isolation tools, including gloves, and continue to monitor the patient and inform medics that the drug has been administered once they arrive, as well as any other observations about the patient's condition.
The proposed policy also requires that officers put together a full incident report and provide some demographic information about the patient to the Arkansas Foundation for Medical Care, or AFMC.
Officers will also be required to ensure their nalaxone kits are in decent shape and the department will be required to document it. Under this policy, used kits would be replaced immediately.
This drug, Cook said, will give the police another tool to protect themselves as well as residents. In an overdose case, he said, officers may be closer to the patient than medics, so having this drug could save lives.
Opioid use has become a problem nationwide, he said, and Bella Vista is not immune to it.
"You'd always want to be prepared," he said.
The council also discussed how it will approach the proposed amendment for the city's accessory structure regulations, which has been discussed by the planning commission and will go into its second reading during the March 26 regular meeting.
"Next is our favorite topic, which is accessory buildings," mayor Christie said.
Staff attorney Jason Kelley explained that because the planning commission has looked at the proposal and made a recommendation, that recommendation is coming attached to the agenda.
If the council prefers what the commission has come up with, he said, a motion to substitute the recommendation for the current proposed amendment will allow council members to have it on the table.
Council member Linda Lloyd said she intends to do that.
The council also discussed purchasing eight new police vehicles at $243,500, contracting with 1st Employment for seasonal mowing at $36,120 and amending the city budget for police department computers and child car seats.
General News on 03/21/2018