CHSU Welcomes Detective Dean “Dino” Cardinale to Discuss Fentanyl’s Impact on the Community
October 20, 2026
Written by Denna Hadipour, OMS-II, OPC Internal Education Sub-Chair
The Overdose Prevention Committee (OPC) at California Health Sciences University hosted Detective Dean “Dino” Cardinale for a discussion about fentanyl in the community.
Detective Cardinale has served with the Fresno Police Department for 28 years and is currently a DEA Task Force Officer. He is also a founding member of the Fentanyl Overdose Resolution Team and has led more than 300 drug investigations, including investigations into fentanyl-related overdoses and deaths.
Drawing on his experience in the field, Detective Cardinale spoke with nearly 70 medical students about the growing presence of fentanyl in Fresno and the Central Valley.
The presentation highlighted the accessibility of fentanyl, particularly among adolescents, pathways to opioid dependence, and the critical role of healthcare professionals in overdose prevention and response.
Through body-camera footage and local news stories, medical students saw how fentanyl overdoses affect individuals, families and communities. The stories also emphasized the importance of caring for people affected by substance use disorders with compassion and without judgment.
The presentation concluded with a trailer from the Emmy-nominated ABC documentary Killer High: The Silent Crisis, which features Detective Cardinale’s work combating the fentanyl epidemic.
Students expressed appreciation for the presentation, noting that it deepened their understanding of the crisis and reinforced the responsibility of future physicians to address substance use disorders through evidence-based, patient-centered care.
By highlighting the intersection of public health, law enforcement, and medicine, the event encouraged students to view overdose prevention as a shared community effort. Attendees left with a greater awareness of the local impact of fentanyl and the critical role healthcare professionals can play in promoting harm reduction, supporting patients, and preventing overdose-related deaths.
To learn more about the CHSU Overdose Prevention Committee and its community outreach efforts, contact SOMA-OPC at soma-opc@chsu.edu, follow @CHSU_OPC on Instagram, or explore additional OPC articles.