Annapolis, MD – City of Annapolis Fire Department personnel have been training City staff and residents through a program, “Your Life Matters.” To date, more than 1,000 people have been trained to deploy the opioid antagonist, Narcan or Naloxone, and in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, or CPR. The training also includes an overview of the Good Samaritan Law so that people can feel comfortable helping in the midst of an overdose or health emergency.
In late February, more than three dozen members of the Annapolis Department of Transportation, including mechanics, City transit drivers and operations supervisors, went to the Pip Moyer Recreation Center to undergo the training. On the table at the front of the room were CPR mannequins, known as “Rescue Annies,” packages of Narcan to take home, and a whiteboard. Typically, the training takes about two hours.
“In our jobs, we have front row access to the public,” said Transportation Director Markus Moore. “If something goes wrong on a route or when one of our customers comes in to department headquarters, I want us to be prepared. I hope none of us ever have to use this training, but if we need it, it’s there.”
The training of City staff and community members began in 2018. The “Your LIfe Matters” program was spearheaded by Capt. Aaron Edwards of the Annapolis Fire Department. He said that the program began with funding for Narcan training. Narcan can reverse an opioid overdose, but isn’t harmful if the incapacitated person is incapacitated due to something else, like a heart attack. Training expanded to include CPR because not every incident is an overdose.
Edwards said that his goal this year is to take the training department-by-department in the City of Annapolis, ensuring that any City staffer who engages with the public has the opportunity to help in an emergency.
“It’s no substitute for calling 9-1-1, which is one of the first things we ask people to do,” Edwards said.
With future funding, Edwards and Moore hope to deploy automated external defibrillators (AEDs) on City buses. Armed with GPS technology, the AEDs could be brought to any location in an emergency.
“The people on the bus may not like the diversion of the route, but they’ll forgive it all when they learn they saved a life,” Moore said.
If your group or organization is interested in “Your Life Matters” training, contact Capt. Aaron Edwards, Annapolis Fire. The program is funded through June of 2023 and is free to the community. Send an email to ylm@annapolis.gov to schedule a training session.
