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Sheriff's office outlines Narcan distribution, fall-prevention classes and smoke-detector installations
Summary
Lieutenant David Weeks and two University of Florida interns described recent public-health outreach by the sheriff's office, including community Narcan distribution, a smoke-detector initiative and an eight-week fall-prevention course planned for April.
Lieutenant David Weeks reported to the Bradford County Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 4 about a suite of community health and safety programs run by the sheriff's office and its partners.
Weeks introduced two University of Florida interns, Cassie and Eli, who have begun outreach projects. Since May 2024 the program reported distributing roughly 220 boxes of Narcan through face-to-face contacts, completed two major home-access projects (deck and ramp replacements), recorded 48 calls for service described as CRP-related and logged 43 referrals from field crews.
Major initiatives Weeks outlined include: - A Matter of Balance: a national fall-prevention program planned to pilot in Bradford in early April. The eight-week course will meet once a week for two hours and include exercise components such as Tai Chi-based balance exercises. - Community Narcan classes: the first class is scheduled for Feb. 18, 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the Bradford County Public Library. Participants will receive a Narcan kit. - Smoke-detector initiative with American Red Cross: phase one canvassed approximately 60 homes in downtown Hampton; phase two will include installation events (the meeting noted a smoke-detector install scheduled Feb. 22 in Hampton).
Weeks and the interns described partnerships with the Arc of Bradford, Bradford Senior Center (pilot site for the fall-prevention course), Bradford County Schools (discussions for middle- and high-school programming), the Red Cross and local libraries. He said the program is still recruiting participants for the April pilot and will collect additional outcome data for a one-year report planned for May.
Board members asked for data showing how the outreach work affects 911 call volumes; Weeks offered to produce data and said an annual presentation is planned for the May meeting when one year of program data will be available.
Quotes from the meeting: "We handed out roughly 220 boxes of Narcan, face-to-face contacts with patients," Weeks said.
"This course is designed to be 8 weeks ... it's not just education, but it's also very exercise based," an intern identified as Cassie said about A Matter of Balance.
Upcoming dates mentioned at the meeting included a Narcan class on Feb. 18 and a smoke-detector install on Feb. 22; the A Matter of Balance pilot is targeted to begin in April pending instructor certification.
