BEAUMONT, Texas — Beaumont Independent School District police officers are now equipped with a nasal spray that can prevent an Opioid overdose from happening.
The Beaumont ISD Police Department has trained their officers to use Narcan nasal spray when they are faced with reviving a student who is overdosing from Fentanyl.
The nasal spray can reverse an Opioid overdose in minutes.
Beaumont ISD Police Department Instructor Mark Mann says, so far, the officers haven't had to use the spray, but they are trained and ready to act, just in case.
"With the growing epidemic today, it's something necessary, not only for our department but departments across the nation," Mann said.
Even the smallest doses of Fentanyl can be deadly.
"Just a few little granules that can fit on the tip of a pencil is enough to overdose, or kill an individual," he said.
All officers in the Beaumont ISD Police Department are now required to carry two doses of Narcan in their individual first aid kits. When responding, they'll look for signs of a potential overdose.
"Pinpoint pupils, ashy skin, blue lips, amongst a few others, are indicators that they may be on an opiate or have an opiate overdose," he said.
A former EMT, CPL. Mark Mann and other emergency personnel trained fellow officers on reacting swiftly.
"Similar to CPR, we have to tilt the head back, you open up the Narcan, you place it into the nasal canal, give one dose. Typically, one dose does revive, or bring a person back to consciousness. We do have the ability to administer additional doses, if needed," Mann said.
Beaumont ISD Police Chief Joseph Malbrough is confident this new measure will maintain the safety of all Beaumont schools during and after school hours.
"As of last year, the CDC has provided information that over 111,000 citizens have died as a result of an opioid overdose. That in itself is alarming," Malbrough said.
Malbrough says so far, his officers haven't had to administer Narcan. But in an emergency, they could use it on a student, a staff member or anyone for that matter.
"We just want to be more prepared in terms of being able to provide service for our student population here in our district, as well as the citizens of Beaumont," he said.
Malbrough is confident that issuing Narcan will help keep schools safe from the ongoing Fentanyl epidemic.
It's worth noting, there's no harm if Narcan is accidentally used on someone who is not overdosing.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.