The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD) is pleased to announce the successful addition of three new pieces of basic life support (BLS) equipment to its inventory:
– Fingertip Pulse Oximeters: These blood oxygen monitors will greatly assist our emergency medical technician (EMT) providers in recognizing hypoxic patients.
– Glucometers: This device will allow our EMT providers to conduct proper testing of glucose levels in patient’s blood.
– Nasal Naloxone (Narcan®): Nasal naloxone is a medication administered through the nasal passage of the patient and can reverse the effects of opioid overdose.
This equipment will greatly assist and provide our EMT providers with additional resources to identify and assess patients, while also continuing to enhance the LACoFD’s emergency medical services (EMS) mission.

Additionally, the introduction of this new equipment is part of Los Angeles County’s multi-agency and multi-level approach to bring comprehensive solutions and innovative treatment options to the vast number of residents within our communities facing an opioid crisis. The misuse of prescription pain medications has become an epidemic in many cities and rural communities throughout the United States, which has led to the need for additional life support saving tools for EMT providers.

Los Angeles County is working on various prevention strategies to raise awareness, provide education, and inform people on what opioids are, how to use them safely, and what alternatives exist to reduce the risk of addiction and misuse.

Talk to your doctor about non-opioid options to manage pain or if you believe you have become addicted to opioids. You may also call the Substance Abuse Service Helpline (SASH) at (844) 804-7500 for help. Addiction is a disease that can be treated; and through treatment, the brain can recover and regain its balance.

For additional information about the LACoFD’s new life-saving equipment, please contact Fire Captain Alex Linton, EMS Bureau, at (323) 267-7131.

To learn more and share your thoughts, visit WeAreLACountyFire.org.