Huntington Bay – Huntington Town
Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci, Inspector Christopher Hatton of the SCPD Second
Precinct, and Public Safety officials joined Town lifeguards at Gold Star
Battalion Beach for a press conference at 11AM Friday, June 29, 2018, to
announce and demonstrate life-saving training techniques, including
administering Narcan and CPR to aid potential opioid overdose victims at Town
beaches.
“As we approach the nation’s
birthday, we must anticipate that where there is recreation, there is a
potential for drug use. In April, I announced that all Town of Huntington
lifeguards, park rangers, bay constables and public safety patrols would be
trained to administer Narcan,” said Supervisor Lupinacci. “In early June, all
Town of Huntington lifeguards and beach managers were trained in this
life-saving tool, and the training continues with other Town employees tasked
with ensuring public safety.”
Thousands of residents flock to the
beach during the Fourth of July holiday week and beaches are crowded most
weekends throughout the summer. Suffolk County has the highest rate of overdose
deaths in the State of New York. In 2017, as many as 600 people died from opioid
overdoes on Long Island, 400 in Suffolk County alone.
Maritime Services Deputy Director
Dom Spada, also 2nd Assistant Chief, Halesite Fire Department, explained the
life-saving procedures the Town’s lifeguards were performing during the
demonstration: “The key element here is rescue breaths, anytime you administer
Narcan to an individual, if they don’t come out of it fairly quickly, you need
to administer rescue breaths -- that's the key, we want to get the respiratory
system going.”
The initial Narcan training for Town
employees had been provided by New York State’s Office of Alcoholism and
Substance Abuse Services (OASAS) on at Pilgrim Psychiatric Center in the
Charles K. Post Addiction Center. Select Town of Huntington employees
have been educated as trainers to continue providing Narcan training for other
employees.
The Town has Narcan kits, supplied
by Suffolk County, stocked at all eight beaches, skate parks and the Dix Hills
Pool.
VIDEO: http://huntingtonny.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=4&clip_id=1547
In the photo (l-r): Town Lifeguards
and Beach Staff join Public Safety Officer Keith Tetrault (4th from left);
Senior Harbormaster Fred Uvena; Deputy Director of Maritime Services Dom Spada;
Head Lifeguard Tom Turchiano; Supervisor Chad A. Lupinacci; Inspector
Christopher Hatton, Second Precinct. 2nd photo: Lifeguards
positioned for Narcan Demo.