Long Beach Fire Department employees reportedly overdose at Santa Barbara party
The Long Beach Fire Department is investigating reports of misconduct involving several of its employees after they reportedly overdosed at a post-wedding party near Santa Barbara city limits.
The incident happened shortly before 2 a.m. Aug. 26, 2018, in the 2800 block of Exeter Place in the Mission Canyon area of Santa Barbara County.
The Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said paramedics administered Naloxone Hydrochloride, commonly known by the brand name NARCAN, to four individuals in their late 30’s who authorities believe snorted a “white powder from an unknown source.”
The Long Beach Fire Department released the following statement regarding the incident:
“The Department has been made aware of a situation regarding a few of our employees that were in Santa Barbara this past weekend. The department has initiated an investigation into the potential allegations of misconduct. This is a personnel investigation and we will not be able to provide any additional information at this time.”
Initially, deputies and Santa Barbara County Fire personnel found a man and woman displaying symptoms of an opiate drug overdose, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Soon after, they noticed another man and woman beginning to display the same symptoms and were treated as well. All four individuals were taken to the hospital.
The names of the Long Beach Fire Department employees involved in Sunday’s incident have not been released.
Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said no one was arrested in the overdose incident, which was treated as a medical emergency. She said a California law prohibits law enforcement from arresting an individual after overdosing on drugs.
NARCAN blocks the life-threatening effects of opioid overdose, both medications and narcotics, including extreme drowsiness, slowed breathing, or loss of consciousness.
