Chula Vista Police to Equip Officers With Anti-Overdose Drug Narcan

"It's very scary, because, at this particular time, we can't send in a dog," a K-9 handler explains

In response to the dramatic increase in synthetic opioids, the Chula Vista Police Department plans to equip its officers with the anti-overdose drug naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan.

"(Fentanyl) can take my canine down, it can take me down," said Officer Chris Walters, who is partnered with Ares, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois.

"It's very scary, because, at this particular time, we can't send in a dog," explained Walters. "We have to do it methodically, safely."

The K-9 team trains on detection several hours a week, but something they cannot train for is locating the synthetic opioid fentanyl.

A keen sense of smell is one of the reasons police K-9s are sent in to search an area or crime scene before their human partners move in.

For K-9s to detect narcotics, they first have to learn to recognize specific components of the drug. But that doesn't work with fentanyl.

"Fentanyl is one of those things that have changed the way we do our jobs," said Walters, who added the department is very concerned about the drug's dangers.

The drug doesn't have to be inhaled to cause sickness. If a powder form of the synthetic opioid becomes airborne, absorption through a dog's paws or a person's skin can also be very harmful.

Because no amount of fentanyl is safe to work with, police have become much more cautious when responding to any call, to protect themselves and their four-legged officers.

"How we investigate as a first responder, we have to ask more questions than we normally ask," he added. "We always fear the unknown."

As another precaution, CVPD officers have also stopped testing drugs in the field.

Narcan is considered safe by the health profession, so if it's given to a person or a K-9 who's not suffering from an overdose, any side effects would be minimal.

However, fentanyl is so powerful, exposure to even a tiny amount can be lethal.

K-9's help to buffer that unknown.

"The dog's job is to protect you, so the bond goes deeper than man's best friend," explained Walters, who has been partnered with Ares for the last three years.

Walters said Ares suffered an injury while preparing for a public event in October, which was later diagnosed as a pinched nerve.

Ares made a full recovery and returned to duty after four weeks.

"It was the most stressful four weeks I've had here at the Chula Vista Police Department," said Walters.

Walters said his confidence in Ares is almost equal to that of a human officer.

"Ares hasn't let me down yet," said Walters. 

The patrol cars will be equipped with Narcan sometime this summer.

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