Russell County Commission approved “Go Bags” purchase for sheriff’s office

RUSSELL COUNTY, Ala. (WTVM) - After a vote in the Russell County Commission meeting, sheriff’s deputies in the county will soon be equipped with the tools they need to tackle almost any scenarios they face.

The commission agreed to purchase “Go Bags” for Russell County Sheriff’s Office vehicles. The money comes from the 2017 settlement involving major drug manufacturers accused of contributing to the opioid epidemic.

Everything from Narcan to first aid kits will go in the bags.

Russell County Emergency Management Director David Martin says the price tag for the bags will be around $75 to $100 out of the opioid settlement money. He says they will go in the sheriff’s office vehicles.

According to Martin, Narcan and automated external defibrillators are already in the vehicles, but the idea of adding the other ideas is to make it a one-stop shop.

“What we’re looking at with the Go Bags is its a way we can incorporate... something they can grab really quickly for an opioid emergency they’ll encounter.”

Martin adds they’ll go in the vehicles as soon as they can order them. There’s no time table on when that order will be placed, but now that the commission approved the purpose, it’s not expected to be long before deputies are equipped with the bags.

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