Backus Public Safety Team Now Carrying Narcan

Members of the Backus Hospital Public Safety team have begun training to carry NARCAN, a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids—including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications in minutes. The decision to implement the program was prompted by an increase in incidents where public safety officers were called to assist unresponsive individuals in the hospital parking lots.

“Carrying naloxone is no different than carrying an epinephrine auto-injector for someone with allergies,” said Gen Boas, Director of Public Safety at both Backus and Windham hospitals. “It simply provides an extra layer of protection for those at a higher risk for overdose and enables our team to have one more tool to help them protect the communities we serve.”

There are two forms of administering NARCAN, injecting Naloxone into the thigh or leg, and the nasal spray. The team at Backus, which includes a K-9, will be the first public safety officers in the Hartford HealthCare system to carry the medication and will act as a pilot test program for other teams throughout the state.

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