Bellone Boosts EMS Protection Act

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone and State Sen. John Brooks were joined by fire, rescue and emergency services professionals Thursday to  support the EMS Protection Act.

Volunteer EMS organizations in the state can’t recover costs for services and are forced to recoup their expenses from the local tax base. All other forms of EMS service are able to bill insurance, Medicaid, etc., leaving the volunteer fire department ambulance services at a severe disadvantage.

At a press conference at the Dix Hills Fire Department, Bellone urged the  state Assembly to pass the bill. as the state Senate has already done.

“Every day our EMS professionals are first on the scene of crisis, performing lifesaving medical services,  and this year, especially, we recognize the tremendous work our EMS professionals  and all of our other frontline workers have performed throughout this pandemic,” Bellone said.

Kayak, Canoe Storage

Suffolk County Legislator Susan A. Berland, D-Dix Hills, and other elected officials joined with representatives from the Suffolk County Alliance of Chambers and Laborers Local 66 at Blydenburgh County Park recently  to announce the launch of the Suffolk County Canoe and Kayak Storage Rack Pilot Program.

They unveiled the first of six storage racks for canoes and kayaks which will be located at various parks and beaches across the county beginning Memorial Day.

The program will allow residents to rent a space to lock their kayak or canoe for the entire season.  Sponsored by Berland, the program was unanimously approved by both the Suffolk County Parks Trustees and the Suffolk County Legislature. The material and labor used to construct the racks were donated  by the Suffolk County Alliance of Chambers and Laborers Local 66.

The season will run from Memorial Day through Columbus Day and spaces will be assigned on a first come first serve basis. Storage racks will be located at Blydenburgh County Park, Southaven County Park, Lake Ronkonkoma County Park, Timber Point Golf Course, Indian Island County Park and Smith Point County Park Marina.

Permits can be purchased in-person through the Suffolk County Parks Department at the West Sayville Administration Building (200 Montauk Highway, West Sayville). Those interested in reserving a space may download the form online at https://www.suffolkcountyny.gov/Departments/Parks/Doing-Business/Seasonal-Kayak-Canoe-Storage-Rentals. For Suffolk County residents who are Green Key Card holders there is a $100 fee for a seasonal permit, and a $250 fee for non-residents.

Turning Orange

Legislator Tom Donnelly, D-Huntington Station, a volunteer member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary 1-1 Babylon, recently sponsored a resolution that will illuminate the Suffolk County H. Lee Dennison building orange to raise boating safety awareness.

Resolution 373-2021, passed unanimously by the Legislature at the May 11 general meeting, directs that the H. Lee Dennison building in Hauppauge be illuminated orange on the Wednesday of each “Safe Boating Week” in May. Mirroring the website of the Safe Boating Campaign (safeboatingcampaign.com), the color orange was chosen to represent the traditional color of life jackets. Resolution 353-2013 designated the week before Memorial Day as “Safe Boating Week” in Suffolk County, in conjunction with National Boating Safety Week.

This year, the Dennison Building, 100 Veterans Memorial Highway in Hauppauge, will be illuminated orange on the evening of  May 25.

 

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