UPDATE: Retired firefighter gives out Narcan in Gadsden County

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A retired firefighter from South Florida traveled to Gadsden County Sunday to give away free Narcan to first police and firefighters.

Luis Garcia’s mission is not just to distribute the drug and teach people how to use it, but also to reduce the stigma that surrounds it.

Narcan is a nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

“It’s simple, it’s easy to use,” Garcia said. “It is a lifesaving tool.”

Garcia traveled from Quincy to Chattahoochee to Gretna to deliver life-saving opioid treatments to first responders.

He even administered the nasal spray to himself, highlighting that the drug is safe to use even on someone who isn’t experiencing an overdose.

“Narcan is probably the most powerful emergency medication carried by paramedics are used in the ER, if the patient is contacted within 10 minutes of collapse.”

Garcia says he’s administered Narcan thousands of times as a firefighter, and more than a dozen times as a civilian.

The key to this drug, he says, is that it has to be given within 10 minutes of a person becoming unresponsive.

“If it’s more than 10 minutes you’re dead,” Garcia said.

That’s why he’s working to equip firefighters and policemen with Narcan, so they don’t have to wait for EMS to arrive on scene before giving the treatment.

“I can say Gadsden County’s about to make a big change,” said firefighter Decarlos Allen.

He and his colleagues hope this will be a game changer.

“100%,” Allen said. “It will save a life.

Anyone who wants to receive Narcan or get trained on how to use it can contact Luis Garcia at 954-859-4696.

If you’d like to donate to his nonprofit you can do so here.