Burlco cops make first heroin OD saves with Narcan

Police officers in Burlington County have used the drug Narcan to save overdose victims for the first time since cops began carrying the anti-heroin drug last week.

The Burlington County Prosecutor's Office said the two incidents happened Sunday in Riverton and Riverside.

Officers were called for a well-being check on the 1500 block of Broad Street at about 3:30 p.m. and found an unconscious man. The man immediately woke up after a Riverton officer administered Narcan, the brand name for naloxone nasal spray. He was taken to a hospital for evaluation.

Then, at about 10:40 p.m., Riverside officers responded to a report of someone possibly suffering a diabetic seizure on Delaware Avenue and found an unconscious and unresponsive man. They determined he may have overdosed on heroin and gave him Narcan. The man regained consciousness and was taken to a hospital.

Thirty municipal police departments in Burlington County recently began carrying the drug after Gov. Chris Christie announced an expansion of a pilot program that began in April. Since this spring, the number of officers trained to use the drug has grown as the state battles a rise in reports of heroin overdoses.