MINNEAPOLIS - Police officers and deputies aren't the only ones learning how to administer Naloxone, the medication used to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
The Hennepin County Library, which oversees 41 locations, is working on a plan to train their security staff on how to use it.
"I’ve seen people overdosing to the point where we've had to intervene medically," said Jamal Fakhreddine, the lead security officer at the Minneapolis Central Library.
For the last two years, Fakhreddine has responded to a number of behavioral issues.
"We encounter intoxicated people, people who have been experiencing a mental crisis," added Fakhreddine. "We're very centralized. It's a very popular place. We have a very steady flow of patrons that come here every day."
All library security officers, like Mr. Fakhreddine, receive over 310 hours of training, which includes crisis intervention techniques.
Fakhreddine is supportive of receiving Naloxone training because "it would be very effective in me doing my job and getting people help before they have to get into an ambulance."
According to the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office, two people, on separate occasions, suffered from a suspected opioid-related overdose at the Franklin Library in Minneapolis in mid-January. One person died, but one survived thanks to a deputy who quickly administered Naloxone, authorities say.
The plan to train the Hennepin County Library officers is still in the early stages. It's unknown when exactly officers like Fakhreddine will be able to carry and use Naloxone in cases of emergencies.
"The more tools I have to help people the better, " he said.