BURIEN, Wash. — A nurse at Highline High School in Burien is being called a hero, after racing to save a student’s life on Wednesday.
“The school nurse knew what to do. She remembered her training. She acted immediately and probably saved the student’s life,” says Catherine Carbone Rogers, with the Highline School District.
The heroism came after a teen overdosed inside the school this week. The Dean of Students saw the student in need, then quickly called 9-1-1 and the school nurse. The nurse was able to quickly administer Narcan to the student. Narcan can be used to reverse an opioid overdose.
“When first responders came and got there they said the Narcan and the quick action of the nurse probably saved that student’s life,” says Rogers.
David Reames, a Special Agent in Charge with the DEA, says the issue of increasing overdoses isn’t exclusive to Burien.
“This is nationwide,” says Reames. “Over 110,000 people lost their lives last year due to fentanyl poisoning. Please don’t let your children be one of the numbers.”
While an overdose inside a school is rare, what happened at Highline High School highlights the necessity of Narcan.
“Just imagine how many more fatalities we would have without Narcan. It’s frightening to consider,” says Reames.
Washington law requires any school district with more than 2,000 students to carry Narcan at their high schools.
The Highline School District tells KIRO 7 that they provide Narcan and regular overdose training at all of their schools, including elementary.
“School is the safest place for a young person to be, statistically,” says Rogers. “The fact that we are ready with Narcan if we need it, I think just underscores that schools are safe. This is a place where students know that they’re around people that are ready to help them with whatever they need.”