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Firefighters seeking OK to carry overdose treatment

Prince George firefighters could soon be carrying a life-saving drug to help reverse opioid overdoses if the request passes council Monday.
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The contents of a Naloxone kit used to treat an opioid overdose.

Prince George firefighters could soon be carrying a life-saving drug to help reverse opioid overdoses if the request passes council Monday.

Fire Chief John Iverson will ask councillors to approve a new agreement that grants his members the ability to administer naloxone.

The agreement with B.C. Emergency Health Services builds off changes to Health Canada legislation in January 2016 to open naloxone treatment up to opioid emergencies outside hospital settings.

Prince George, like the rest of the province, is grappling with a spike in overdoses and deaths with the presence of potent fentanyl in the market. The B.C. Coroners Service reported a 74 per cent increase in drug overdose deaths between January and July this year compared to the same time period in 2015.

By the end of June, nine deaths in Prince George showed traces of fentanyl, up from seven the year before.

"Due to the recent significant rise in the number of opioid drug-related overdoses and deaths, government agencies at all levels are taking steps to minimize the harm caused by opioid drugs and protect public safety," the staff report said, before recommending council approve the changes.

The report notes firefighters are already trained to offer "enhanced on-scene emergency care" and the move would "potentially save lives in our community."