Eight Jacksonville first responders were honored by Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody on Wednesday for saving a baby from a fentanyl overdose in June.
Moody presented eight winners with “Back the Blue Awards” in the presence of Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters, members of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department.
Police were called to an apartment building in Spring Park on June 5 in reference to a child who was not responding. Officers started providing emergency medical attention to the seven-month-old infant right away before bringing him to JFRD staff.
After receiving naloxone, also referred to as Narcan, the infant was brought to Wolfson Children’s Hospital for medical attention.
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The toddler received a life-saving dose of Narcan because to Attorney General Moody’s Helping Heroes program.
“This action highlights the importance of equipping all first responders with the tools they need, such as naloxone, to combat the devastating epidemic—and I am grateful that our Helping Heroes program played an impactful role in this life-or-death situation,” Moody stated.
According to Moody, the incident brings attention to the current drug issue that is affecting Florida and the nation. Over 100,000 Americans lose their lives to drug overdoses every year across the country; fentanyl is the primary culprit.
The 2022 Florida Medical Examiners Report states that fentanyl overdoses claimed the lives of over 600 Jacksonville citizens in 2022.
