Read more at https://cbs6albany.com/news/local/addiction-care-center-workers-revive-two-after-overdose
ALBANY -- Addiction Care Center employees Clarence Rivers, Yolanda Johnson, and Jihad El-Amin say today they got a call from a colleague, passing a two-car crash just down the street - the call, was for extra help.
"We grabbed two Narcan kits, we drove to the bottom of the hill, where there was a lot of commotion,” said Rivers.
Police say 30-year-old Jacob Waldron rear-ended the car in front of him on the corner of McCarty Avenue and South Pearl Street.
Johnson says Waldron and his passenger were unconscious in their car. “they were completely out of it, the car was still going, the engine was still on..." She says they administered Narcan on the two, with the help of another certified man on scene - and it took a minute for the two to regain consciousness.
“You're not certain that person is going to respond when they overdose, and you hope the Narcan works." said El-Amin.
Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple said, "The Narcan really is a miracle drug and it saves thousands of lives a year, it saved many lives already locally."
Apple has long supported the emergency treatment drug - he praises the three addiction specialists, and pushes more people to take the class to become certified to administer it.
"You never know, this could happen anywhere...it's horrific, and the more people that are trained, I think the more lives can be saved,” he said.
Johnson, Rivers and El-Amin say - today was the first time they ever had to break out the kits.
"Just seeing that situation, I have to say that I have a new found respect for Narcan and I know that if it was not for that drug, we could have lost two people today,” Johnson said.