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Yakima County veterans staff credited with saving overdose victim; commissioners cite Narcan use data
Summary
Ray Hernandez, Yakima County veterans program administrator, recognized two outreach staff who administered naloxone to revive an apparent overdose victim in Toppenish. Commissioners commended the staff and cited county Narcan administration figures during the Feb. 25 meeting.
Ray Hernandez, Yakima County veterans program administrator, recognized two outreach staff, identified only as Angel and Fernando, after they administered naloxone to revive a person who appeared to have overdosed on Dec. 11 during outreach in Toppenish.
Hernandez described encountering the unresponsive person, saying they were “faces blue, no pulse detected,” and that Angel and Fernando “retrieved some naloxone from the outreach kit” and administered doses until Toppenish Fire arrived and the individual’s condition stabilized. Hernandez said, in his view, without their intervention the encounter would have been fatal.
Commissioner Curtis thanked the staff and said county records showed naloxone administration was frequent: “The number I was given was 4,899,” Curtis said, referring to instances where naloxone had been administered countywide last year. Commissioners praised Angel and Fernando for acting beyond their regular duties; the board presented the staff for recognition and invited them to pose for a photo.
Hernandez and the commissioners framed the incident as an example of the scale of overdose response in the county and urged continued attention to the broader addiction challenges facing the community. This recognition was part of the Feb. 25 regular meeting; no formal board action was taken on the incident.
