Flagler School Board approves Narcan policy change advertisement ahead of final approval
The Daytona Beach News-Journal | By Brenno Carillo | February 27, 2023
To help prevent local victims of the drug overdose epidemic, the Flagler County School Board unanimously approved a measure to advertise a proposed policy change to allow the district to store naloxone.
If approved, the new policy will require school nurses to be trained by the Flagler County Department of Health in administering the opioid-reversal drug, commonly known as Narcan.
The proposal must now wait a minimum of 30 days before returning to the board for final approval, according to school board attorney Kristy Gavin.
“Whenever there’s an opportunity to maintain something within your facilities that could possibly save a life, and it’s not necessarily just the student — could be an employee — and it’s inexpensive, why not?” Board Chair Cheryl Massaro told The News-Journal in a recent interview.
Other school departments are also encouraged to send other staff, including, but not limited to, coaches, school counselors and teachers, to be trained as well. Staff training would happen “annually, prior to the beginning of each school year and throughout the year as needed.”
abuse counselor, and Michael Feldbauer, president of the Drug Court Foundation, talk to members of Iglesia
Pentecostal Ebenezer de Bunnell Church, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2023, as they demonstrate how to use Narcan, a nasal spray
that reverses opioid overdoses. David Tucker
The superintendent would also be tasked with establishing administrative guidelines governing the procurement, maintenance and use of Narcan at schools.
These guidelines must:
- Specify the individuals (by position) employed by the school board who may, in accordance with law, procure Narcan.
- Include the physician-established protocol(s), as required by law.
- Identify the location(s) in each school building where Narcan shall be stored.
- Specify the conditions under which Narcan must be stored, replaced and disposed of.
- Specify the individuals (by position) employed by or under contract with the school board, in addition to a licensed school nurse, who are authorized to access and use Narcan in emergency situations.
- Specify the training that board employees or contractors must complete before being authorized to access and administer Narcan.
- Specify that the assistance from an emergency medical service provider (911) must be requested as soon as practicable before or after Narcan is administered.
The board is scheduled to meet again at 6 p.m. March 28.
