"It’s such a weird world from what we grew up in,” says Dan Nothdurft, president of Tires, Tires, Tires, a four-location, independent tire dealership based in Sioux Falls, S.D. “It has changed so much.”
That includes greater exposure to fentanyl and other lethal substances.
To help fight the potential threat posed to his employees by fentanyl exposure, Nothdurft has installed Narcan distribution boxes at his two Sioux Falls locations.
Narcan is used to treat people who have been exposed to fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid.
Tires, Tires, Tires, which is a part of the Tire Pros program, worked through Emily’s Hope, a non-profit organization in Sioux Falls that tackles substance abuse issues, to obtain the Narcan distribution boxes.
The non-profit was founded by Angela Kennecke, a journalist in the Sioux Falls area who lost her daughter, Emily, to a fentanyl overdose in 2018.
“When my brother, Dale, heard of Emily’s Hope, he came to me and said, ‘We need to do this,’” says Nothdurft.
“The reasoning behind it was, ‘What if a customer brings their vehicle in and they have fentanyl or something on their hands?’ Then my employee hopped in their vehicle to pull it in and they just touched the steering wheel, too.
“Now if my employee then touches their mouth, nose, eyes or any opening, they could get that into their systems. So it was about protecting our employees.”
Nothdurft says community members also know that Narcan is available to them at the Tires, Tires, Tires locations. “We don’t ask any questions. You just take (a Narcan dose) if you need one.”
When the dealership’s Narcan boxes are empty, Nothdurft or a member of his team calls Emily’s Hope, who will refill them for no charge.
Nothdurft says the Narcan boxes at his two Sioux Falls stores have already been refilled six times.
He encourages other dealers to look at similar organizations in their area because it makes “such a positive impact on the community.
“You may think, ‘Do we have to battle that?’” he says “Maybe. Maybe not. But I think everyone should take a positive approach on this thing and recognize the fact that we may have a problem.
“And if you save one person’s life, it’s worth every penny.”
