Donation Buys Narcan For Stearns County Squad Cars

ST. CLOUD -- Stearns County Sheriff's deputies will now have a drug which helps reverse an opiate overdose with them when they go out on patrol. The Justin Pearson Foundation has donated approximately $6,000 to the sheriff's office to buy the Narcan for every squad car.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Bruce Bechtold says Justin Pearson's father Dan Pearson has wanted to put the drug into squad cars for years, and now there is a nasal spray form instead of an injection. But, he says they also had to figure out a way to keep the Narcan from getting too hot or too cold.  He says they worked out a system which has deputies bringing the drug into the office after every shift.

Bechtold says having the drug available in the field will help save lives.  He says it's especially important in rural areas where ambulance services may not be readily available.

Justin Pearson died on Christmas Day in 2006 from an opiate overdose. His family started the foundation in his name to combat opiate addiction and overdose.