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Illinois State Police Will Learn How To Use 'EpiPens'

"EpiPen Auto Injector" / Greg Friese (CC BY 2.0) http://bit.ly/2aJllxj

A new law in Illinois could put a life-saving tool in the hands of police officers.

Illinois State Police go through annual first responder training including the use of CPR, overdose reversal drugs, and now epinephrine auto-injectors. Those are used to treat severe allergic reactions.

Master Sergeant Matt Boerwinkle says together these can help officers react before a full medical team can arrive to the scene.

“Those are all steps that increase an individual’s chances of surviving an incident. We want our troopers to have the best training and knowledge and readiness in that area.”

The law is named for an Elmhurst teen who had a fatal allergic reaction at a sleepover.

Boerwinkle says he expects the auto injectors will be bought in bulk and purchased on contract sometime in the near future.

“We can’t have our officers trained in every medical procedure, but this is obviously something they can recognize out in the field. If an individual had a bee sting, or eaten some peanuts, at least they can address that situation immediately and that can potentially have a life-saving effect on the individual.”

Jenna Dooley has spent her professional career in public radio. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University and the Public Affairs Reporting Program at the University of Illinois - Springfield. She returned to Northern Public Radio in DeKalb after several years hosting Morning Edition at WUIS-FM in Springfield. She is a former "Newsfinder of the Year" from the Illinois Associated Press and recipient of NIU's Donald R. Grubb Journalism Alumni Award. She is an active member of the Illinois News Broadcasters Association and an adjunct instructor at NIU.