With almost 400 Albertans killed by opioid overdoses in 2016, the province's latest efforts to prevent future deaths should be welcome news for all communities.
Effective immediately, firefighters in Mountain View County and across the province have the authority to administer the anti-overdose drug naloxone by injection.
The move will not of course bring an end to the fentanyl crisis - that may only happen when law enforcement and the courts are given much more power to go after those who import and distribute the deadly drug.
What this latest move will do is ensure that more Albertans caught up in the crisis will have their lives saved indeed of lost.
For her part, Brandy Payne, associate minister of health, says giving firefighters the authority to inject naloxone to overdose victims is all about preventing unnecessary deaths.
"Our first responders are heroes for their work saving lives on the front lines," said Payne. "Now firefighters across the province can administer injectable naloxone, giving them an additional life-saving tool when responding to an overdose call.
"Making naloxone more widely accessible to individuals and organizations who want the kits will also help prevent further deaths."
Craig Macdonald, with the Alberta Fire Fighters Association, said first responders want to do their part to treat overdoses.
"The ability of firefighters to administer naloxone is a very important tool in the management of the opioid crisis," said Macdonald.
"Firefighters across Alberta will now be of greater assistance to our partners in EMS by delivering timely and effective treatment to those experiencing a potentially deadly opioid overdose."
In a related effort, Alberta Health will now be publishing quarterly public reports on opioid overdose data and will begin publishing interim reports on fentanyl deaths.
The end of the fentanyl crisis may be years away - if and when that happens Albertans and their fellow Canadians will no doubt welcome its demise.
In the meantime, these latest efforts by the province and its stakeholder partners should be applauded and recognized by the community at large.
Dan Singleton is the Mountain View Gazette editor.
