Vernon’s RCMP officer-in-charge Supt. Shawna Baher is being recognized among 150 others for saving and attempting to save lives with Naloxone since 2016.
Vernon officers Const. Shawna Miranda, Const. Krista Bourdeau and Sgt. Dale Jackson were recognized, too, for their combined six life-saving events.
At least a dozen Mounties are to be recognized at least three or more times for their life-saving efforts during separate occasions, on behalf of the District Commander for the RCMP Southeast District.
Baher is recognized for her leadership and dedication to the implementation of the nasal Naloxone rollout and formal employee recognition program.
“Supt. Baher was one of the forward-thinking leaders in the RCMP who worked collectively with various national key stakeholders, which led to this being a reality,” said C/Supt. Brad Haugli, district commander.
“Shawna’s leadership continues to make a positive difference in our communities, not only here in the Southeast District, but throughout B.C. and across Canada.”
In the fall of 2016, RCMP started carrying Naloxone for two reasons, officer safety, if one might be inadvertently exposed to Fentanyl or an analog and to save the life of any person who was suffering an opiate overdose.
There have only been a few instances of Naloxone being administered to RCMP employees and officers. However, from October 2016 until the end of March 2021, the RCMP has administered nasal Naloxone more than 1,000 times across Canada to individuals suffering an apparent or suspected overdose.
In the B.C. RCMP’s Southeast District, upwards of 271 doses of nasal Naloxone have been administered by officers during the course of their duties, in 195 of those over 1,000 events since October 2016.
Sgt. Greg Woodcox of the Kelowna RCMP Community Safety Unit who is being recognized an astounding seven times.
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