Deer Park, NY - April 23, 2014 - County Executive Steve Bellone, New York State Senator Phil Boyle, and the Suffolk County Department of Health announced a partnership to host an Opioid Prevention Training Program to train the general public on the use of the heroin antidote Narcan. Held at the Deer Park Fire Department on Tuesday, April 22, the Suffolk County/New York State sponsored prevention class trained 185 lay people as part of a larger effort to build and train a universe of future first responders.
“Through government and community partnerships, we can expand the pool of future first responders and equip them with the training they need to respond to opioid overdoses,” said County Executive Steve Bellone. “Narcan has shown time and again the ability to reverse the effects of an overdose and give those individuals a second chance at life.”
“As we battle the heroin and opioid epidemic here on Long Island, this training class will be the inaugural effort between the State of New York and the County of Suffolk to begin training those who may find themselves in a position to make a difference between life and death,” said State Senator Phil Boyle, Chairman of the New York State Senate Committee on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse and Chairman of the Senate Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction. “Narcan is an antidote for heroin overdose that we pray we never need to use but we will thank God we have it if we do.”
To date, Suffolk County Department of Health conducted 12 training sessions and supplied Narcan kits to 208 non-traditional responders, including the general public, village and town police departments. Non-traditional first responders include the Shelter Island PD, Suffolk County Probation, Northport Village PD, Nissequogue PD, Asharoken Village PD, Ocean Beach PD, and Town of Smithtown Public Safety. Additional classes are being scheduled for Southampton Town PD, East Hampton Town and Village PDs, Sag Harbor PD, Suffolk County Sheriffs Office and Southold Town PD.
“We are very proud to host a Narcan training class tonight here at the Deer Park Fire Department,” said Fire District Commissioner Lieutenant Mike Macaluso. “We all say everyone deserves a second chance in life, none of us are perfect. Narcan gives people that second chance.”
Tuesday’s announcement concluded with a live demonstration of the administration of the heroin antidote Narcan by Suffolk County Director of EMS, Bob Delagi.
For more Suffolk County news, as well as video footage and photos of the Narcan announcement, visit www.facebook.com/stevebellone.
Photo: (Deer Park EMS Representative-Anthony Maiello, Suffolk County Director of EMS-Bob Delagi, Suffolk County Health Commissioner-Dr. James Tomarken, Medical Director of Suffolk County Emergency Medical Service-Dr. Greg Pigott, Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, Assistant Chief of Deer Park Fire Department-Phillip Scarfi, Deer Park Fire District Commissioner-Anthony Macaluso, New York State Senator Phil Boyle)