SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — In March, Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies received new training on a drug that could help save lives.
"I thought at some point it would hit him and he was going to die," said Deputy Nicholas Russell.
He is being credited with saving a man's life thanks to new training, and it's the first for the department.
"This is incredible. This is something we've been asking for quite some time and a lot of officers throughout the country are utilizing Narcan now in the field daily," said Sgt. Shaun Hampton, spokesman for the department.
Deputy Russell was on a stolen vehicle call along Franklin Boulevard with other deputies this week when the passenger admitted to taking heroin.
"He said he swallowed it and he said 'It's starting to hit me,' and once he said that he kind of slumped over," Russell said.
When the 40-year old man fell unconscious the deputies new training kicked in.
"It clicked, 'Hey we have the Narcan we might as well use it,'" he said.
The Narcan nasal spray helps counteract the effects of opioid overdoses, something that officers frequently encounter.
Now all patrol officers in Sacramento are being equipped with the drug despite some initial concerns.
"It's still talked about, not wanting to use it, but it's very simple," Russell said.
"If it can save lives just like we had here in Sacramento County a couple days ago, then we think our officers so should have it," Hampton added.
It's a new simple step and the effects can last a lifetime.
"In the past, if we ever had any type of overdose or someone who is on responsive we just called the fire department, but now at least we have some type of tool that we can use," Russell said.
Deputies will all be trained on the drug and how to use it by this summer and then will be required to have continued training.