Lacombe firefighters are taken precautionary measures when it comes to dealing with the opioid crisis, specifically fentanyl.

The Lacombe Fire Department have added Nasal Naloxone Kits to their tool bet, just in case they mistakenly inhale the drug.

Although the department isn’t a first response unit and have a smaller chance to encounter the drug, Deputy Fire Chief Drayton Bussiere said it’s better to be safe than sorry.

“There’s a lot of news story out there of RCMP officers and firefighters that are getting significantly hurt by a very small amount of fentanyl. It’s just another thing to add to the toolbox to  protect ourselves with.”

Bussiere said they haven’t had to use them yet, which he adds is a positive thing.

“Some fire departments are different than ours, where they are carrying the kits to actually use on the public or patients if they need medical first response, where we don’t do those things.”

“We’re carrying those soley as an occupational exposure thing.”

In the first three months of 2017, 113 people in Alberta have been killed by fentanyl overdoses.

The department is one of many across the country who have added the kits, with training being provided by AHS.