A program sponsored by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency will provide 400 naloxone kits to the county, Tom Holman, deputy court administrator, told the county commissioners at their Wednesday meeting.

Naloxone, an opioid overdose antidote, is more commonly known as Narcan.

The kits are to be distributed to eligible first responders like librarians, after-school program leaders, public transit drivers and others in the public sector who may witness an overdose.

The naloxone kits each contain two nasal doses of the drug, which can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

As a requirement of the PCCD grant that provides the naloxone kits, Holman asked the commissioners to appoint Mark Peffer, the chief deputy at the county sheriff's office, as the coordinator of the program.

Holman said Peffer already coordinates the county program to distribute naloxone to official first responders.

“He's already well-versed,” said Commissioner Kevin Boozel.

Boozel said naloxone kits normally cost $75 each, which means the cost to the county without the grant would be $30,000.

He said those who think their entity may benefit from keeping a dose of naloxone on hand can contact Peffer at the sheriff's office to see if they are eligible.

Holman said the new naloxone kits will arrive in three deliveries over a two-year period.

In 2016, 74 people died of an overdose in Butler County. So far this year, 69 have died of overdoses in the county.

On Aug. 15, city police responded to six overdoses in nine hours. None died, largely because police had naloxone at their disposal.

Sheriff Mike Slupe said on Wednesday that the county is honored to be a central depository for the distribution of “this life-saving drug” by the entities or individuals who are eligible to administer it if needed.

Slupe praised the effort to have more naloxone available in the county, which has been hard-hit by the opioid crisis.

“I like to think that the combined efforts of the commissioners, our human services' drug and alcohol (department), law enforcement and emergency medical people will one day (cause) our overdose epidemic to become a thing of the past,” Slupe said.