When every second counts during a life-threatening allergic reaction, Innisfil firefighters will now have a new tool at their disposal.
Innisfil Fire and Rescue is the first fire department in Canada to equip its emergency vehicles with neffy, a needle-free epinephrine nasal spray product designed to treat anaphylaxis that was officially launched in the country on Thursday.
"Being first was never our goal," Innisfil Fire Chief Brent Thomas said. "Our goal is simple here in Innisfil: to provide the best possible care for our community."
Thomas told Barrie360 that the service responds to dozens of emergency calls for anaphylaxis annually.
Epinephrine is the first-line treatment for anaphylaxis, a reaction that is often linked to food allergies, venom allergies such as bee stings and allergies to medication.
Until Health Canada approved neffy in April, epinephrine auto-injectors such as EpiPens were the only approved emergency treatment available in Canada for anaphylaxis.
Firefighters will continue carrying auto-injectors, but Thomas called the nasal spray a "game-changer" because it removes the needle that can make some people hesitate.
"Often there's a trepidation to using the auto-injector," Thomas said. "That sometimes is a barrier to quick delivery or even delivery at all."
Compared to EpiPens, neffy is shelf-stable for longer and able to withstand a broader range of temperatures, making it even more accessible for crews to have on hand.
First-responders with the service have already completed training to administer the medication, and the simplicity of the spray makes it advantageous for crews.
"Early recognition saves time, and the other time saver for us, comes down to the device," said Curtis Goodfellow, lead medical trainer with Innisfil Fire Rescue. "Especially in children, that's big for us. We no longer have to convince a minor or somebody young that it's not a needle, it's not gonna hurt."
Once firefighters determine a patient is experiencing anaphylaxis, they follow medication protocols, including ensuring they have consent from the patient, before delivering the spray.
Dr. Ian Young, Innisfil Fire Rescue's medical director, said he initially learned of neffy long before Health Canada approved it through American television commercials. That was an inspiration for getting the product to the town.
Young later highlighted the product at April's Ontario Anaphylaxis Summit in Toronto, where he connected with ALK Canada, the company that owns the rights for distributing neffy in Canada. That ultimately led to Innisfil Fire Rescue adopting the medication.
Young, who also works with seven other fire services including Barrie Fire, says Innisfil is uniquely positioned to carry the product and hopes that Thursday's announcement can kickstart a broader effort to inspire other fire departments to carry it.
"We're a long way from having community-stocked epinephrine, much like AEDs are out in the community and how naloxone is readily distributed to vulnerable populations," he said. "This is our part to build on the momentum to get epinephrine out to the community."
While having firefighters carrying an easier delivery method can help save more lives, Thomas says residents shouldn't solely rely on first responders if a dosage is needed.
"If you or a loved one has severe allergies, always carry your prescribed epinephrine and use it immediately if needed," he concluded. "Firefighters are there as an added layer of protection, but preparedness starts with the individual.
