AKRON, Ohio - Joining dozens of other police departments in Ohio, Akron police officers will carry the drug commonly known as Narcan in every cruiser, to counteract the growing heroin epidemic.

While the Akron Fire Department and EMS have carried naxalone among their advanced life support drugs for more than 20 years, Akron police officers will be trained Aug. 22-23 to learn to administer the drug, which can block or reverse the drowsiness, slowed breathing and loss of consciousness of an overdose of opioid drugs, such as heroin and fentanyl.

The city said in a statement it's working with the Akron Regional Hospital Association to supply EMS and Akron police with the Narcan to save more lives.

"This is a simple next step to the onerous fight against this epidemic," Mayor Dan Horrigan said in a statement. "Statistically, EMS arrives before the Akron Police Department the vast majority of the time, yet in those crucial first responder moments when APD does arrive first, I want our officers to be able to save a life."

Summit County, like many communities across the country, has had increasing heroin and opioid overdoses and deaths in the past few years, but this year the numbers have risen drastically.

"No one could have predicted the introduction of fentanyl and especially now carfentanil and the damage they both could cause," Horrigan stated. "It's imperative that we continue to work closely with our county partners and local elected officials to find effective solutions."

From Jan. 1 to Aug. 18, Summit County hospitals have treated 1,243 overdoses.

Akron's overdose totals captured the attention of Massachusetts nonprofit Heroin is Killing My Town. The group urged supporters to come to Akron last week, drawing about 800 people to Lock 3 for an anti-drug rally.