Sheriff Derek Cunningham asked the Montgomery County Commission to authorize using opioid settlement funds to buy automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for patrol vehicles, equip deputies with Narcan and support education and prevention efforts.

Lede details: At the information session, Sheriff Derek Cunningham described opioid misuse as a countywide problem and urged the commission to use settlement dollars for equipment placement in patrol cars, jail medical areas, substations and “high drug trafficking areas,” and to support prevention and educational outreach.

Nut graf: Cunningham told commissioners that deputies often arrive before emergency medical services and that immediate access to AEDs and naloxone can save lives. He also emphasized the need to target education to young people and parents to prevent prescription-medication misuse.

What commissioners heard: Commissioners asked for specifics about geographic “hot spots” for opioid use and about how the settlement money would be applied. Cunningham said opioid misuse and prescription diversion occur across all parts of the county and recommended a countywide approach to equipment placement and prevention. A commissioner expressed interest in working with the sheriff and other stakeholders to increase prevention and education spending from the settlement funds.

Outcome and next steps: Commissioners agreed to work with the sheriff to develop education and prevention efforts and to consider using opioid settlement funds for AEDs and naloxone placement. No formal vote or appropriation was taken during this meeting; staff were directed to follow up with the sheriff on program specifics and potential allocations.

Ending: The sheriff said he would continue to bring specific program proposals and asked commissioners to help spread prevention messaging to the community. Commissioners signaled support for moving from discussion to an actionable proposal at a future meeting.