Local leaders and first responders discussed the drug epidemic among other topics at a roundtable with U.S. Sen Todd Young on Thursday evening, Feb. 23, at Warsaw City Hall. InkFreeNews photos by Leah Sander.

By Leah Sander
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Local leaders and first responders aired their concerns on the drug epidemic to U.S. Sen Todd Young on Thursday evening, Feb. 23.

That was one of the issues discussed at a roundtable at Warsaw City Hall.

Attendees were Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, Warsaw City Councilman Jeff Grose, Kosciusko County Commissioner Cary Groninger, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory EMS Chief Chris Fancil, Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker, Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith and other members of the WPD and KCSO administration.

Young said he was traveling around the state on his Jobs, Innovation and Security tour, which is why he wanted to meet specifically with law enforcement.

“I don’t think that there’s anything unique with what our great law enforcement group here is fighting. There’s opioids, there’s fentanyl, which is really rearing its head. I hear about it. You guys see it,” said Thallemer, encouraging first responders to ask questions.

One of them asked if federal attention could be directed to help with “officers’ safety” when dealing with drugs as fentanyl can be dangerous when a person comes into contact with it in powder form.

Thallemer noted a WPD officer this week was worried about accidental exposure to the drug while testing a substance that had been found. It takes only a small bit of it to kill a person.

Thallemer noted technology was available for drug testing, which would require less exposure for officers, but special funding didn’t appear to be available for it, including through recent opioid settlement monies that were given to the state, county and local cities and towns.

The special drug-testing devices cost around $40,000 apiece.

Young said he would look into the funding.

Thallemer brought up Warsaw’s C.A.R.E.S. program, through which non-law enforcement first responders meet with those experiencing mental health or addiction problems.

Fancil noted the goal of the program was to be a “resource conduit” to help those in those crises get help through other organizations, such as the Bowen Center. He also mentioned how the fire department distributes Narcan to help with overdoses to other first responders via a grant.

Fancil said the amount of times WWFT has given Narcan over the past few years has doubled, with it doing so more than 40 times last year. He said there had been a least two drug overdose deaths this year “just here in the city limits.”

First responders also discussed how there had been one morning not too long ago when four overdoses occurred at the same time in the area.

“And it was in one of those, there were two adults, one unresponsive, one barely responsive and kids running around, so then we have to worry about these kids being exposed to that,” said Fancil. “I told our guys, if we have a child in cardiac arrest, which we hope to never have, but when we do, we have to consider giving that child Narcan because we don’t know what they’ve been exposed to within that residence.”

Thallemer referenced the county’s Jail Chemical Addiction Program, which Smith addressed.

He said a class should start again in March, with it being a women’s one, which hasn’t happened for a while. Men and women incarcerated for drug use at the Kosciusko County Jail learn how to deal with their addiction through the program.

As Smith said only a few inmates of the whole general population were able to get assistance through JCAP, he said help from government would be appreciated.

Young said a bill authorizing funds to help with “community-based mental health” was passed last year by Congress and he’d check on those funds.

“But we need to train more service providers” regarding mental health, said Young, noting that loneliness and social media had contributed to mental issues.

Attendees posed for a photo with Young after the event. From left: Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer, Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Chris McKeand, Warsaw Police Department Capt. Paul Heaton, Young, KCSO Lt. Mike Mulligan, Warsaw Deputy Police Chief Bryan Sherwin, Warsaw-Wayne Fire Territory EMS Chief Chris Fancil, Warsaw Police Chief Scott Whitaker, Warsaw City Councilman Jeff Grose, Kosciusko County Sheriff Jim Smith, WPD Capt. Brad Kellar and Kosciusko County Commissioner Cary Groninger.