COEUR d’ALENE — Six people incarcerated in the Kootenai County jail overdosed on fentanyl over the weekend, according to the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.

Jail deputies responded around 7:30 p.m. Saturday to “medical emergencies” involving two inmates who showed symptoms of fentanyl overdose, a news release said. Staff administered Narcan, a medication used to reverse or reduce the effects of opioids, reviving the pair. 

When four more inmates showed signs of overdose, jail staff administered Narcan to them and revived them, according to KCSO. Coeur d’Alene Fire and Rescue responded to the jail to help provide immediate medical care. 

All six inmates were transported to Kootenai Health for treatment and then returned to jail. 

“We have a few (overdoses) every year,” Undersheriff Brett Nelson said Monday. “Obviously, something of this magnitude was unusual for our jail or any facility.” 

Nelson told The Press that “trace amounts” of powder were found on the floor of a housing unit. He said testing confirmed the substance to be fentanyl, according to KCSO. No drug paraphernalia was found in the unit. 

One of the men who reportedly overdosed, Raymond D. Spezzi, 37, of Coeur d’Alene, now faces charges of possessing a controlled substance inside a correctional facility. 

“Interviews with the involved inmates and some other information led to his involvement directly,” Nelson said. 

Spezzi was originally arrested on a warrant and booked into jail Nov. 12 on charges of trafficking in heroin and criminal conspiracy, according to jail records. His bail is set at $499,000. 

Nelson said all six individuals chose to ingest the substance. 

“They were willing participants in it,” he said.  

An investigation into how the fentanyl got into the jail is underway. 

“It’s always an ongoing concern of ours whether it’s brought in through various conveyances or within the human body itself,” Nelson said. 

Nelson said the incident put a strain on staff because one or two deputies had to accompany each inmate to the hospital. 

“In this instance, it eradicated our staffing,” he said. “We got down to minimum staffing.” 

Additional resources were called to fully staff the jail during the incident, Nelson said. 

“The jail is a safe and secure facility, but like anything else, it’s permeable by outside entities and our staff continues to work on a daily basis to ensure not only the safety of the inmates but themselves,” he said. 

The sheriff’s office urged the community to be aware of the dangers posed by fentanyl, a synthetic opioid estimated by the Centers for Disease Control to be more potent than morphine, used to treat severe pain, such as advanced cancer pain. The drug is so potent that even small quantities can be fatal. 

Though some people seek out fentanyl specifically, local authorities said the substance is often pressed into pills resembling prescription medications and some people consume them without realizing they contain unregulated, inconsistent and dangerous amounts of fentanyl. 

Last year, 212 people died in Idaho due to opioids, according to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Of those deaths, 38% involved fentanyl. 

Help is available to North Idaho residents who are struggling with substance abuse problems. 

The North Idaho Crisis Center at 2301 Ironwood Place in Coeur d’Alene offers free, confidential help for people who have a drug or alcohol problem or a mental health crisis. 

The center is open 24/7. No referral is necessary. Call 208-625-4884.