Cumberland County Sheriff Casey Cox was among a select few law enforcement leaders chosen to attend an exclusive training entitled “Fentanyl Officer Safety and Awareness” recently in El Paso, Texas. The training was funded by Appalachia HIDTA and was hosted by the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC).

At a time when Fentanyl exposure to first responders, through their duties, is expanding exponentially it is very important for leaders in the law enforcement communities to be armed with the latest and timeliest information to protect their officers as well as those they serve in the community. Fentanyl is an opioid pain medication with a rapid onset and is commonly mixed with heroin to give the heroin more potency. Unintended exposure is critically dangerous for first responders as even microscopic amounts can prove fatal. Many times drug users are unaware their heroin is laced with fentanyl, thus when injecting their normal dose of heroin, the overdose potential is greatly increased.

“It is very important for law enforcement leaders to become knowledgeable of the dangers associated with this substance, so that Policies and Procedures for evidence handling can be shaped to ensure officer safety. Very often we are getting reports of officers becoming very ill by simple skin contact with Fentanyl. It poses a grave threat to our first responders,” said Director Brown of Appalachia HIDTA

By sponsoring these leaders’ attendance to this elite training, they will serve as force multipliers in spreading the word to first responders.

In addition to the important training received involving fentanyl, Sheriff Cox and other law enforcement leaders in attendance had the opportunity to receive briefings and tours from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Border Patrol. They were also afforded the opportunity to learn the tactics, techniques and procedures that drug smugglers use to get drugs across the border. They observed best practices for screening vehicles as they enter the country from Juarez, Mexico.