REGINA -- Firefighters in Saskatchewan's capital city will now carry an antidote to help reduce fentanyl and opioid overdoses.
Regina fire chief Ernie Polsom says naloxone will be added to fire trucks, and all Regina firefighters are trained to administer the drug.
Polsom says fentanyl and other opioids are having a devastating impact across Canada and this step helps Regina combat the public health crisis.
He also says it will ensure firefighters are protected in case they come into contact with an opioid while helping someone.
Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin, oxycodone or morphine, and even the smallest exposure from residue on a patient could kill a paramedic or another emergency worker.
Saskatoon firefighters started carrying naloxone last month.
"It will save lives," Polsom said Thursday.
