BROWARD COUNTY, FL (Boca Post) (Copyright © 2026) — As spring break brings heavier beach traffic across South Florida, BSO’s Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services has trained and equipped municipal lifeguards in Deerfield Beach, Hallandale Beach, and Dania Beach with Narcan, the medication used to reverse opioid overdoses.
The effort is aimed at getting naloxone into the hands of frontline personnel already stationed on the sand as attendance rises and public safety agencies anticipate higher call volumes and a greater potential for medical emergencies.
BSO Fire Rescue personnel provided hands-on training to lifeguards on how to recognize signs of an opioid overdose and how to administer Narcan quickly and effectively. BSO said the initiative will continue after spring break.
The training and distribution are being carried out through the BSO Fire Rescue Community Paramedic program. BSO describes that program as focused on proactive community risk reduction, overdose prevention, and improving patient outcomes through education and strategic partnerships.
BSO said the Community Paramedic program also works to reduce repeat overdoses, connect individuals to treatment resources, and strengthen collaboration between emergency responders and community stakeholders.
“Providing lifeguards with Narcan and the proper training to administer it enhances our coordinated approach to public safety,” BSO Fire Rescue Division Chief Kevin Gabay said. “Prompt recognition and immediate intervention can be the critical factor in saving a life.”
For residents in Boca Raton and across Palm Beach County who spend time on nearby beaches, the move is a reminder that spring break conditions can change the pace of emergency response. In Broward, BSO is positioning Narcan closer to where emergencies may happen, with lifeguards trained to act before an ambulance arrives.
Responsibility for the training and rollout sits with BSO’s Department of Fire Rescue and Emergency Services, working directly with municipal lifeguard agencies in the three cities named.
What happens next is straightforward: BSO says the Narcan-equipped lifeguard program will continue beyond spring break. Beachgoers should expect lifeguards in those areas to have Narcan available as part of their emergency response tools.
BSO Fire Rescue said it serves Cooper City, Dania Beach, Deerfield Beach, Hallandale Beach, Hillsboro Beach, Lauderdale Lakes, Pembroke Park, West Park, Weston, Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Port Everglades, and unincorporated Broward County.
