The Cassopolis Village Council has voted to bring a life-saving drug to the village.

The council voted to approve an agreement with Families Against Narcotics to provide Naloxone to the Cassopolis Police Department.

FAN will provide Naloxone to the village free of charge, and the agreement will last into 2019.

Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, is an injectable drug that blocks the effects of opioid drugs, including heroin, and reverse an overdose. The drug has been known to save lives of those who have overdosed on opioids, including the lives of police officers who have come into accidental contact with fentanyl drugs while on duty.

After passing on the opportunity to approve access to Narcan a few years ago, Cassopolis was one of the last police departments in Cass County to adopt the drug, though Police Chief Brian LaValle has long been in favor of providing the drug to officers.

“As it’s no cost, I think it’s a win-win for the community [to provide Narcan],” LaValle said.

LaValle’s opinion may have swayed the vote, as, at Monday’s workshop, council member Geraldine Simms requested that LaValle state his take on the drug prior to the vote.

After Lavalle said he believed the drug to be a positive tool for the police department and the community, the council decided to take the matter into a special meeting, where they voted in favor of the drug.

A Cassopolis police officer attended a training on Naloxone in Kalamazoo last month and will be in charge of the Narcan kits and replacing them, LaValle said.

In other business:

• The village approved the purchase of a piece of playground equipment called the “Chili Pepper” to be placed in one of the village parks. The cost of equipment will total around $25,000. The village currently has $5,000 in grants to help cover the costs of the playground equipment. The council hopes to apply for another $5,000 risk-reduction grant that they have received in the past for their rubber mulch.

“It’s a pretty easy grant to get,” said Village Manager Emilie Sarratore. “But there’s no guarantee we will get it.”

The “Chili Pepper” features several play features including two slides. The $25,000 cost will include rubber mulch and a ADA compatible ramp.