BPD officer receives life-saving service award

Blaine Police Department (BPD) officer Keith Olson was acknowledged last month for his exceptional service that saved the life of an individual experiencing a fentanyl overdose.

The city of Blaine and BPD presented Olson with a life-saving-service plaque December 21, 2022, to show appreciation for his quick and accurate assessment of the situation. Olson used multiple doses of naloxone, known by its brand name Narcan, to reverse the effects of an overdose on October 22, 2022, BPD spokesperson Tami Bhachu told The Northern Light in an email.

Just before midnight, BPD was notified of an unconscious individual in the 700 block of E Street. Not originally dispatched, Bhachu said officers responded anyway, as general practice. An update minutes later notified BPD that CPR was in progress and naloxone was needed.

Officers arrived at the residence and entered through an open back door. A juvenile female told them the individual wasn’t breathing upstairs. Officers found a man administering CPR on the unresponsive individual.  

Olson gave the individual an initial dose of naloxone. When he learned the person had taken fentanyl, Olson gave them additional doses. Officers stood by as the naloxone began to take effect. They cleared when North Whatcom Fire and Rescue personnel arrived.

Naloxone can be given as a nasal spray or by injection into muscle, under skin or into veins, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, a U.S. federal government research institute.

Olson has been with BPD since February 2019. Officer Katelyn Lyons and sergeant Skylar Deffinbaugh were also involved in the response.