(Photo provided by Timothy A. Bennett, Owner & Publisher of The Cortland Voice).
A presentation was held at the Truxton fire building on Wednesday that revealed “quick and easy access” to life-saving medication for those overdosing from an opioid.
Healing Cortland and Healing Hearts Collaborative partnered to install an N-POD, also known as Narcan Point of Distribution, at the Truxton fire building. N-PODS will soon be installed at various locations across Cortland County, according to a release.
N-PODS are wall-mounted and secured plastic units that contain nine units of Narcan nasal spray.
“When used during those crucial moments, Narcan can mean the difference between life and death,” said Dean Gorman, director of Healing Hearts Collaborative, in a release. “An N-POD provides around-the-clock easy access to this life-saving tool, and we are hoping that through this program, easy access happens for rural areas, helping to save more lives.”
The background on N-PODS and Narcan are stated in a release:
Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is a medication approved to reverse overdose by opioids. Naloxone is given when a person is showing signs of an opioid overdose. It blocks the toxic effects of the overdose and restores breathing to the individual.
These N-PODS are similar to publicly sited Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), providing both a life-saving resource as well as instructions for use. Instruction booklets with written and graphical elements on Narcan administration are included in all the boxes.
The release noted that Narcan is accessible in the city of Cortland, however, many rural communities in the county have limited access. If there’s an area where an N-POD can be located, contact O’Gorman at 607-283-6378.
For more information and efforts to increase naloxone distribution in the county, contact Healing Cortland project director Sara Watrous at 607-232-1617 or [email protected].
Below is a video of the N-POD reveal presentation at the fire building in the town of Truxton. Members of the Truxton Fire Department, Healing Cortland, Healing Hearts Collaborative, county public health director Nicole Anjeski and more spoke at the presentation. Truxton and county officials, local agency representatives and community members were in attendance for support.
