By Nance Beston
Columbia Basin Herald
SOAP LAKE, Wash. — Grant County Fire District 7 has installed a new 24/7 Narcan dispenser outside its station, a move district leaders say is about one thing only: saving lives.
The unit was provided through a Grant County Health District grant that places free naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication commonly known as Narcan, in high need areas across the county.
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Capt. Ryan Boldman, who also serves as coordinator for the Soap Lake Prevention Coalition, said the decision was straightforward.
“Our first priority as a fire department is the health of the communities,” Boldman said. “Narcan has been shown to effectively save the lives of people who need it in that moment.”
Boldman compared the dispenser to an automated external defibrillator mounted in a business or school — a tool anyone can use in an emergency before first responders arrive.
“Narcan is really about turning bystanders into lifesavers,” Boldman said. “It’s empowering the community to help folks that are in an opioid crisis.”
A race against time
Opioid overdoses kill by stopping a person’s ability to breathe, not by stopping the heart. That makes the minutes before firefighters arrive critical.
“You have about three to four minutes once somebody has stopped breathing before brain damage and death,” Boldman said. “That puts us a little behind the eight ball in terms of response time.”
Narcan can begin reversing an overdose within one to four minutes. When a bystander administers it before crews arrive, Boldman said, the chances of survival increase dramatically — and the call is often less costly for taxpayers because full CPR efforts may not be needed.
Safe to use
Boldman said Narcan is safe to administer, even if a person is not experiencing an opioid overdose.
“There’s no danger in administering Narcan,” he said. “You’re not going to hurt somebody by giving it.”
The medication simply blocks opioid receptors in the brain. If the person has no opioids in their system, the Narcan wears off with no lasting effects.
Not about politics — about people
Boldman acknowledged that public conversations about Narcan can become political but said the fire district’s stance is rooted in community health.
“For us, it’s not about politics at all,” he said. “These people are sons, daughters, fathers, mothers.”
He added that many overdoses now involve counterfeit pills laced with opioids, meaning people may not realize what they are taking.
The dispenser also provides peace of mind for families who worry about loved ones, he said — not just for people struggling with addiction.
“It’s our goal to make it as easy to live as it’s possible,” Boldman said. “Our job is to provide people with resources and teach them how to use these things safely. So free Narcan, it’s about people being more prepared and making lives easier to save and give them more chances for recovery.”
A community tool, not a long‑term solution
Boldman stressed that Narcan is a short‑term, life‑saving intervention, not a cure for the opioid crisis. Anyone who administers Narcan should still call 911, because the medication can wear off before the opioids do.
The fire district hopes the dispenser normalizes overdose response and encourages residents to learn the signs.
“When Narcan is widely available and normalized, people are more likely to recognize overdose signs and act quickly,” Boldman said.
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