Butler County will seek a grant to provide police officers an opiate overdose antidote.

County commissioners on Wednesday approved applying for the $10,000 grant from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Tom Holman, deputy court administrator, said in an interview that the grant could pay for more than 180 kits of Naloxone, often known by its brand name, Narcan. Because the drug has an expiration date, the county initially will buy 90 kits and later buy another 90.

The kits will be given to county police departments that request them.

Former Gov. Tom Corbett in September signed into law Act 139, which allows emergency first responders, including firefighters, police and EMTs, to administer the drug. Before that, only trained paramedics could give the drug.

Holman said the statistics on overdoses are sobering. In 2014, the county had 33 opiate overdose deaths, and Holman said the number has been increasing every year since 2005. As of last week, he said there have been 14 overdose deaths.

He also noted the success rate of Naloxone. Over the last four years, the Butler Ambulance Service has administered the drug 287 times, and it was successful 285 times.

During the week of May 18, Holman said there were four overdose deaths in Butler, but he also said that six people were saved due to Naloxone.

Holman said the grant application is a collaboration between the county criminal justice advisory board, the sheriff and the district attorney.