Erie County peace officers now allowed to use EpiPens
In their patrol vehicles, peace officers across the state have carried tourniquets, bandages, Narcan and other first aid items in addition to being able to use CPR training to help save lives.
But there are times when law enforcement officers arrive at the scene of a medical emergency even before an ambulance, and Sheriff Paul Sigsworth believed it was important for them to also have the ability to use EpiPens in the event of an individual suffering from a life threatening episode of anaphylactic shock
After meeting with local paramedics and emergency room physicians, he reached out to Ohio Senator Teresa Gavarone, who was immediately supportive.
Popular supplement sold on Amazon recalled
'I was shocked when seconds can mean the difference between life and death that that wasn't allowed,' said Gavarone, who sponsored Senate Bill 234, giving properly trained peace officers that authorization.
Gavarone said her enthusiasm for sponsoring the legislation was rooted in her own personal experience with a daughter who suffers from tree nut allergies and has experienced severe episodes of anaphylaxis since she was very young.
Among those who Sigsworth consulted was Dr. Donald Spanner of University Hospitals in Cleveland.
'I always tell our paramedics during training about the ones who die, die instantly, within minutes and terrible stories of children who get into nuts or get stung by a bee. Those people literally die on the scene and our only hope for these patients is the first line providers. Not just the EMTs and not just the paramedics, but the police who are there frequently before everyone,' said Spanner.
'I do believe it's going to be beneficial in the more rural areas, but it's not to say it wouldn't happen even in the areas that are covered by full time departments,' said Captain Dean Gasser of the Margaretta Township Fire Department, who was also consulted as a part of the process.
Sigsworth said, in most all cases, the patients already know their history and they also already know what they have been exposed to that triggered their episode.
'Normally what happens is we will get a 911 call and usually it's the patient themselves and they say, 'I just got stung, I just ate some food, I'm having an allergic reaction,'' said Sigsworth.
Invasive, parasitic fish in Great Lakes thrived during COVID-19
That information would help peace officers when deciding if using the EpiPen is appropriate.
The legislation requires peace officers who are issued EpiPens to complete anaphylaxis training.
Erie County's EpiPens were provided by University Hospitals. The effort there was supported by Firelands Health.
Sigsworth said the medication would not be issued to someone who is already unconscious.
'We are not the medical experts. We don't pretend to be. We are certainly not trying to replace paramedics, but all we can do and what we want to do is preserve life until they can arrive and get them into a clinical setting where hopefully they can have a positive outcome all the way around,' said Sigsworth.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time Magazine
3 hours ago
- Time Magazine
Public Health Workers Criticize RFK Jr. After CDC Shooting
More than 750 public health workers sent a letter to Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday, urging him to 'stop spreading inaccurate health information' and guarantee employees' safety, in the wake of a shooting at the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) earlier this month. The letter—signed by both named and anonymous current and former staffers at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), CDC, and National Institutes of Health who noted they signed the letter in their 'own personal capacities'—said the attack on the CDC's headquarters in Atlanta on Aug. 8 'was not random.' 'The attack came amid growing mistrust in public institutions, driven by politicized rhetoric that has turned public health professionals from trusted experts into targets of villainization—and now, violence,' public health workers said in the letter, which was also addressed to members of Congress. 'CDC is a public health leader in America's defense against health threats at home and abroad. When a federal health agency is under attack, America's health is under attack. When the federal workforce is not safe, America is not safe.' The public health workers went on to accuse Kennedy, a prominent vaccine skeptic, of being 'complicit in dismantling America's public health infrastructure and endangering the nation's health by repeatedly spreading inaccurate health information.' They cited several statements and actions that Kennedy has made in recent months, pointing to his claim that mRNA vaccines 'fail to protect effectively' against upper respiratory infections such as COVID-19—despite years of research showing that the shots are both safe and effective—and his announcement that HHS would be winding down mRNA vaccine development. They also condemned his decision to remove all the experts from a critical vaccine advisory committee. And they said some of Kennedy's past comments—such as claiming that there is a 'cesspool of corruption at CDC'—were 'sowing public mistrust' in the health agency. The public health workers expressed their wish to honor police officer David Rose, who was killed while responding to the attack on the CDC headquarters in August. HHS said in a statement to TIME that Kennedy 'is standing firmly with CDC employees—both on the ground and across every center—ensuring their safety and well-being remain a top priority.' The agency added that, after the shooting earlier this month, Kennedy traveled to Atlanta and called the CDC 'a shining star' among the world's health agencies. 'For the first time in its 70-year history, the mission of HHS is truly resonating with the American people—driven by President Trump and Secretary Kennedy's bold commitment to Make America Healthy Again,' HHS said. 'Any attempt to conflate widely supported public health reforms with the violence of a suicidal mass shooter is an attempt to politicize a tragedy.' Law enforcement officials said they found evidence that the suspect in the August shooting, who they identified as Patrick Joseph White of Georgia, blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for his health ailments. White was found dead at the scene, and authorities later said that he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. CDC Director Susan Monarez noted the dangers posed by misinformation in a staff meeting in the wake of the attack. 'We know that misinformation can be dangerous,' she said, according to NBC News. 'Not only to health, but to those that trust us and those we want to trust. We need to rebuild the trust together.' The day after the shooting, Kennedy expressed his condolences to Rose's family in a post on X. 'We know how shaken our public health colleagues feel today. No one should face violence while working to protect the health of others,' he said. 'We are actively supporting CDC staff on the ground and across the agency. Public health workers show up every day with purpose—even in moments of grief and uncertainty. We honor their service. We stand with them. And we remain united in our mission to protect and improve the health of every American.' Kennedy was one of President Donald Trump's most controversial Cabinet nominees, and faced heated questioning by Senators during his confirmation hearings. He has drawn outrage from the medical establishment in the past for spreading disinformation, including repeating the debunked claim that vaccines cause autism. In their letter, public health workers claimed Kennedy's 'dangerous and deceitful statements and actions have contributed to the harassment and violence experienced by CDC staff.' They implored him to take three steps by Sept. 2 to 'uphold his pledge to safeguard the health of the American public,' including asking him to 'stop spreading inaccurate health information,' particularly regarding vaccines, infectious disease transmission, and the country's public health institutions. They also urged him to affirm the scientific integrity of the CDC and guarantee the safety of HHS employees, such as through emergency procedures and alerts. 'The deliberate destruction of trust in America's public health workforce puts lives at risk,' they wrote in the letter. 'We urge you to act in the best interest of the American people—your friends, your families, and yourselves.'
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Covid-19 Vaccine Guidelines Are Changing. What We Know About Who Can Get a Shot.
It's late August, there's a hurricane coming up the East Coast, schools are starting to open, and no one has any idea who can get an updated Covid-19 shot. It has killed up to 56,000 people in the U.S. since last October, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and sickened up to 18 million. Pfizer Moderna and Novavax all plan to launch new versions of their Covid-19 vaccines this fall, updated to target a family of Covid-19 viruses called JN.1.
UPI
6 hours ago
- UPI
AAP splits with CDC advice in new vaccine guidelines
The American Academy of Pediatrics issued vaccine recommendations that differ from U.S. Centers for Disease Control guidelines for the first time in 30 years. File Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI | License Photo For the first time in 30 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued vaccine recommendations that differ from U.S. government guidelines. In new guidance released Tuesday, the AAP strongly recommends COVID-19 vaccines for children between 6 months and 2 years of age. For older children, shots are also advised but ultimately left to parents' discretion. That contradicts recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Under U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the CDC does not recommend COVID-19 shots for healthy children of any age but says families may choose to get the vaccine after consulting with a doctor, CBS News reported. In a statement, AAP President Dr. Susan Kressly said "the AAP will continue to provide recommendations for immunizations that are rooted in science and are in the best interest of the health of infants, children and adolescents." She added: "Pediatricians know how important routine childhood immunizations are in keeping children, families and their communities healthy and thriving." However, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has some concerns. In a statement to CBS News, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the American people "deserve confidence that medical recommendations are based solely on science and public health." He made a direct appeal to the pediatricians' group. "We call on the AAP to strengthen conflict-of-interest safeguards and keep its publications free from financial influence, ensuring every recommendation reflects only the best interests of America's children," Nixon added. Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, urged parents to stay on top of routine vaccinations. "Parents should really stick the course and make sure that their children get all of the routine childhood vaccinations," Gounder said. She added that the AAP's new COVID-19 advice mostly reaffirms what it has said in the past. "The first encounter with COVID should be with the shot, not with the virus," Gounder said. "There is still a very high risk in younger children, particularly 6 months to 2 years, for hospitalization and severe complications if they get COVID." The AAP also updated its guidance for RSV and flu vaccines, CBS News reported. It recommends: RSV: Infants younger than 8 months should get an RSV immunization unless protected because their parent was vaccinated during pregnancy. Children ages 8 to 19 months at high risk for severe illness should also get vaccinated. Flu: Annual flu vaccines are recommended for all children 6 months and older, unless there's a medical reason not to get the shot. More information The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on COVID vaccines. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
