Town of Huntington Lifeguards Perform Narcan Demo at Gold Star Battalion Beach
Huntington Bay, NY - June 29, 2018 - 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.