[LBPOST] In a first for Long Beach, fire department paramedics have recently begun helping police subdue people they believe are potentially violent or combative, sometimes by administering a powerful sedative to the person being detained.Over the past four months, LBFD paramedics have used the drug midazolam on more than three dozen people as part of a new pilot program meant to bolster coordination between the police and fire department, city officials recently announced.
Nearly 1,000 police and fire personnel, including more than 60 dispatchers, have received training on how to recognize the symptoms of a person exhibiting what city officials call “agitated delirium” as well as coordinate a combined response, according to an Aug. 20 statement from the city.