Several police officers and Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) were recently honored for their efforts in saving lives of Warren County residents who suffered drug overdoses.

The recognitions were part of a program sponsored by the Warren County Recovery Advocacy Team, supported by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence-NJ (NCADD) and The Coalition for Healthy and Safe Communities, a program of the Family Guidance Center of Warren County. 

The event, titled “Join the Conversation,” was held at Warren County Community College and also included an array of speakers who discussed the deepening drug problems in Warren County. 

“We need for society to understand that no drug user wakes up one day and says ‘this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,'” said Mary Jo Harris, a project coordinator with the coalition. 

Drug overdoses have increased in the past year, but thanks to the life-saving device, Narcan, a kit that is used by trained individuals to revive someone experiencing an opiod-related overdose, first responders have been able to save many of those lives. According to Warren County Prosecutor Richard Burke, 54 lives were saved since the program was implemented last year. 

“If more family members had Narcan we could all be first responders,” said Aaron Kucharski, with NCADD’s New Jersey branch. 

Several officers and EMTs were on hand to receive certificates of appreciation. In all 39 police officers and EMTs were recognized:

Washington Township 

Cpl. David A. Burdage 

Lt. John Kaufmann 

Patrolman Robert Yeisley 

Patrolman Benjamin M. Blake 

Detective Walter Koch 

Patrolman Joshua I. Masenior 

Patrolman Zachary Grawehr 

Patrolman James Vernon 

Mansfield Township 

Sgt. Shawn Bates 

Patrolman S. Browns 

Patrolman Michael Camerata 

Patrolman Greg Zytko 

Belvidere 

Patrolman David Mariani 

Patrolman Christopher Pappalardo Jr. 

Cpl. Frank Tootle 

Chief Matthew Scott 

Patrolman Michael Castles 

Patrolman Marsh 

Independence Township 

Sgt. David Aber 

Pohatcong Township 

Patrolman Alan Hill 

Patrolman Matthew Wojcik 

Lopatcong Township 

Patrolman Andrew Wayne 

Phillipsburg 

Patrolman Michael Connaughton 

Patrolman Brad Kisselbach 

Patrolman David Cupon 

Lt. Ralph Reppert 

Sgt. John M. Franceschino 

Patrolman Justin Koeller 

Patrolman Christopher Mecca 

Patrolman Dominic Belcastro 

Sgt. Sandor Gal 

Patrolman Matthew Amey 

Sgt. Anthony Goodell 

Hackettstown 

Patrolman James Murtha 

Sgt. David Garzon 

Blairstown Township 

Detective Nicholas Falciccho 

EMT Misty Mott 

EMT Joseph DiGrazia 

Cpl. S. Johnson