The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department says a new program equipping deputies with EpiPens is already making a life-saving difference.

Since launching earlier this year, deputies have used the devices twice, each time saving a person suffering from a severe allergic reaction.

Back in the summer, Deputy Andrew Schumaker was the first to respond to a call involving Stanley Cizdziel, who had been stung more than 20 times by bees while cutting trees. The multiple stings caused Cizdziel to go into anaphylactic shock, a life-threatening allergic reaction that can quickly close airways and stop breathing.

“There was limited breathing, limited muscle control, altered mental state,” Schumaker said.

Schumaker arrived within minutes and immediately recognized the signs of a severe reaction.

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