Local
RTC says transit security officers intervened in 19 suspected overdoses
Six security officers contracted by the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada administered Narcan during suspected overdoses in the program’s first 90 days. The agency says the responses helped save 19 lives.
LAS VEGAS — Six security officers working for the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada responded to suspected opioid overdoses and administered Narcan to 19 people during the first 90 days of a new training program, RTC officials said Wednesday, Oct. 14.
The program began July 1. The officers, contracted through Intercon, received Narcan training through a partnership with the Southern Nevada Health District. Training covers recognizing overdose symptoms, giving the medication and assisting someone while emergency responders are on the way.
“In the first 90 days, our officers assisted in saving 19 people and giving them a second chance at life,” said Tom Atteberry, RTC’s director of safety and security operations.
Narcan, also known as naloxone, can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose. It does not replace emergency medical care, which remains critical after the medication is administered.
RTC security officer Bobby Leyva said carrying the medication gives officers a way to respond when they encounter a suspected overdose. Las Vegas City Councilman Brian Knudsen praised the officers, saying their work helps protect transit riders and staff as well as the wider community.
The six officers received the RTC’s Crystal Bus Award for their responses. The agency said thousands of residents and visitors use its transit system daily and described the training as part of its broader safety efforts.
RTC is also using a federal transit security grant of more than $700,000 to pilot and evaluate artificial-intelligence detection technology intended to improve transit safety.