Hamburg police make 2 Narcan saves in 4 days

HAMBURG — The Hamburg Borough Police Dept. made two Narcan saves in the space of four days last week, the first on Sept. 7 and the second on Thursday, Sept. 10.

At 4:36 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7, Officer Lawrence Barcza responded to a call at the 7-11 convenience store of a possible heroin overdose.

Police said Barcza observed an unresponsive 29-year-old male victim being attended to by several off duty EMTs. Police said the victim had no pulse and his lips and face was blue. An off-duty paramedic then arrived to assist. Chest compression and rescue breaths were administered to the victim. A weak pulse and labored breathing returned to the victim. Police said Barcza then administered NARCAN to reverse the effects of the heroin. Within several minutes the male patient showed signs of improvement, police said.

Upon the arrival of paramedics and Hamburg EMS, the patient was transported to Newton Hospital for treatment.

Then, on Thursday, Sept. 10, at about 2 p.m. a car arrived at the police department and police said the male driver requested help as he believed his female passenger was overdosing on heroin.

Officers Jason Tangorra and Fred Moses responded and observed an unresponsive 30-year-old female victim in the passenger seat of the vehicle. Officer Tangorra observed the female victim exhibiting signs of a heroin overdose. Police said the male driver told Officer Tangorra the victim had told him she had “shot up” just before he picked her up. As they were driving the female victim became unresponsive, slumped over and was barely breathing. Police said the male driver drove to Hamburg police.

Tangorra then administered Narcan to reverse the effects of the heroin. Within several minutes the female patient showed signs of improvement and began speaking with Officers Tangorra and Moses. Upon the arrival of Hamburg EMS the patient was transported to Newton Hospital for treatment.

Director Wayne Yahm said the department has doubled its order to have extra kits on hand, but he said if this trend continues, the department will not have enough Narcan on hand when an emergency occurs.