The following is a press release issued by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office. This has not been proven in a court of law and any individuals described should be presumed innocent until proven guilty:
On 03-11-2024 at approximately 2:14 P.M., a Mendocino County Sheriff’s Deputy was dispatched to an unknown problem at a business located in the 8500 block of East Road in Redwood Valley, CA. Upon the Deputy’s arrival he learned a subject had been in the restroom for an extended amount of time and was not responding to employees of the business. The Deputy gained entry into the restroom and observed an adult male unresponsive. The Deputy also noticed the adult male appeared to have very slow and labored breathing.
Fearing the adult male was suffering the beginning stages of a potential lethal drug overdose, the Deputy administered multiple doses of Narcan. The adult male responded to the administered Narcan, and medical personnel arrived shortly thereafter and began providing additional medical treatment.
In April 2019 the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) began to issue NARCAN® (Naloxone HCI) nasal spray dosage units to its employees as part of their assigned personal protective equipment. MCSO’s goal is in protecting the public and officers from opioid overdoses. Access to naloxone is now considered vital in the U.S. The Center for Disease Control. At that time, the California Opioid Overdose Surveillance Dashboard reported Mendocino County ranking, per capita, 3rd in all opioid overdose deaths. (https://skylab.cdph.ca.gov/ODdash/?tab=Home). Refer to dashboard for current updated opioid overdose information. Narcan nasal spray units are widely known to reverse opioid overdose situations in adults and children. Each nasal spray device contains a four-milligram dose, according to the manufacturer. Naloxone Hydrochloride, more commonly known by the brand name NARCAN®, blocks the life-threatening effects of opioid overdose (both medications and narcotics) including extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, or loss of consciousness.
The antidote can reverse the effects of an overdose for up to an hour, but anyone who administers the overdose reversal medication in a non-medical setting is advised to seek emergency medical help right away. The spray units can also be used by Public Safety Professionals who are unknowingly or accidentally exposed to potentially fatal amounts of fentanyl from skin absorption or inhalation.
The issuance of the Narcan nasal units, thus far, have been to employees assigned to the Field Services Division, Corrections Division and the Mendocino County Jail medical staff. Employees are required to attend user training prior to being issued the medication.
Sheriff Matthew C. Kendall would like to thank Mendocino County Public Health for providing the Narcan nasal units to the Sheriff’s Office free of charge as part of the Free Narcan Grant from the California Department of Public Health.
Since the April 2019 issuance, there have now been (19) nineteen separate situations wherein Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Patrol Staff have administered NARCAN and saved the lives of (19) nineteen overdosing individuals in need of the lifesaving antidote medication.
In October 2021 the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office received a grant from the California Naloxone Distribution Project through the Department of Health Care Services to help maintain an inventory of the live saving antidote. This grant was renewed in 2023 where the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office received additional NARCAN dosage units for the Field Services Division and Corrections Division.
Sheriff Matthew C. Kendall would like to thank the California Naloxone Distribution Project through the Department of Health Care Services for awarding the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office with the Naloxone grants to better help protect his employees and the public.
Editor’s Note
The North Coast of California has a disproportionately high rate of drug abuse and addiction compared to the rest of California. Treatment can help. The following resources are available to those seeking support for themselves or their loved ones:
- Mendocino County
- Contact Behavioral Health and Recovery Services at 1(855)765-9703.
- Humboldt County
- Contact the Humboldt County Substance Use Disorder Hotline at 1-855-765-9703
- Trinity County
- Contact Alcohol and Other Drug Service at (530)623-1362
- Lake County
- Contact the Substance Use Disorder Services at 1(800)900-2075
South Ukiah Rotary has a garbage cleanup scheduled for Low Gap road March 23, meet in high school parking lot at 8:45, Low Gap, sadly, is where people dump their garbage when they don’t want to pay the fee at the facility on south state street, please come by and help us, thanks!
Wow! I would think Matt Kendall would consider Narcan administration a waste of public resources based on his recent comments here.