Coon Rapids Police Partner with Steve Rummler HOPE Network to Provide Free Naloxone

Coon Rapids, MN

The Coon Rapids Police Department has announced a new public safety initiative aimed at preventing overdose deaths and expanding access to life-saving resources in the community.

In partnership with the Steve Rummler HOPE Network, the department now serves as an official Naloxone Access Point, allowing members of the public to obtain the opioid overdose reversal medication Naloxone (commonly known as Narcan) free of charge.

Anyone in the community can visit the Coon Rapids Police Department during business hours to request the medication. The department offers both intramuscular and nasal naloxone options, as well as fentanyl test strips, tools used to detect the presence of fentanyl in drugs. Officials emphasize that no paperwork, identification, or reporting is required to receive these resources.

Naloxone is available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the police department.

A Community Harm Reduction Effort

The initiative is part of a broader statewide network led by the Steve Rummler HOPE Network, a Minnesota nonprofit focused on overdose prevention, education, and reducing stigma around substance use disorders.

Through its Naloxone Access Point (NAP) program, the organization partners with public agencies, healthcare providers, libraries, and community groups to distribute naloxone and fentanyl test strips across Minnesota. The goal is simple: ensure that life-saving overdose reversal medication is readily available to the public in the midst of a worsening opioid and fentanyl crisis.

At these access points, community members can walk in and receive a kit without providing personal information, a model designed to remove barriers that might prevent someone from carrying the medication.

How Naloxone Works

Naloxone is a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, restoring breathing within minutes when administered properly. It has been used by emergency responders for decades and is considered safe, non-addictive, and effective even if given to someone who is not actually experiencing an opioid overdose.

Because fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are now frequently found in both opioid and non-opioid street drugs, health experts increasingly encourage the public to carry naloxone as a precaution.

Expanding Public Access

Programs like the Naloxone Access Point network have grown rapidly in Minnesota in recent years as public health agencies and community organizations work together to prevent overdose deaths.

The Steve Rummler HOPE Network distributes overdose response kits and fentanyl test strips to partners across the state while also providing education and training on recognizing and responding to overdoses.

For the Coon Rapids Police Department, becoming a Naloxone Access Point represents another step in its community-focused approach to public safety.

Department officials say the program reflects their commitment to providing life-saving resources not only to residents of Coon Rapids, but to anyone who may need them.

Accessing Naloxone in Coon Rapids

Community members seeking naloxone or fentanyl test strips can visit the Coon Rapids Police Department during the following hours:

Monday through Friday
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

No appointment, insurance, or personal information is required.

Officials stress that the medication is available for anyone who may need it, whether for personal use, to assist a loved one, or simply to carry in case of emergency.

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