By-Line: Julie Murphy, Flagler County Government
No doubt Flagler County Fire Rescue is staffed with heroes, and a grant through the Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) will help them to save even more lives. Fire Rescue is on the receiving end of 500 doses of Narcan from DCF’s overdose prevention program called HEROS (Helping Emergency Responders Obtain Support).
“It saves us a lot of money, because we won’t have to buy those doses with an estimated value of $9,611,” said Community Paramedic Robb Errett. “This should take care of the needs of our community for the entire year.”
The doses were delivered as Luerlock prefilled syringes.
“The value of Narcan is priceless, because it saves lives,” said Fire Rescue Chief Mike Tucker. “Many people have turned their lives around after being revived with Narcan, which provides a crucial second chance at life.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in May 2025 an almost 27% decrease in overall drug overdose deaths across the United States in 2024, with estimated opioid-involved deaths dropping from over 83,000 in 2023 to about 54,700 in 2024.
State and federal officials credit this decline, in part, to increased accessibility of naloxone (Narcan) – a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose.
