Chelmsford Firefighters Use Narcan, Rescue Breathing to Save Overdosing Man

Fast actions by Chelmsford first responders helped save the life of a man who was suffering from a drug overdose on Sunday.

In a post on their Facebook page, Chelmsford Police said that firefighters and police officers were called over the weekend to a report of an unresponsive man.

Upon firefighter arrival, they quickly determined that the man was suffering from an opiate overdose.

After discovering this information, firefighters performed rescue breathing and administrated Narcan, police said. Narcan is a chemical used nasally to quickly reverse the effects of opiates in a persons system.

Police said the man become responsive and was soon able to breath normally on his own before being transported to a local hospital.

"Kudos to the men and woman of CFD and CPD for their dedication to medical services and training in the deployment of this life saving tool. Well done," said Chelmsford Police Lt. Dan Ahern.

Many Chelmsford residents commented on the Facebook post, which was "Liked" by more than 250 people.

Among the commenters was Mary Camara Arenella, who praised the work of the town's first responders in an overdose situation.

"I'm glad to see that even people with addictions are treated with the same respect and urgency as everybody else," she said. "That isn't always the case."