Petrone, Council Announce New Boating Safety Measures
Huntington Supervisor Frank P. Petrone and the Town Council today announced two new measures aimed at making Town waters safer this boating season.
Supervisor Petrone said the Town recently took possession of a 24-foot Boston Whaler Justice as part of a grant from the New York State Department of Parks and Recreation. The boat, which was built for marine law enforcement, is identical to one Town received in 2012 under the state grant program, and like its predecessor, will be used for patrolling Town waters.
In the second measure, Supervisor Petrone said that 18 Town harbormasters and bay constables will undergo training in administering the anti-opiate overdose drug Narcan (naloxone). A training session, run by the Suffolk County Health Department, has been scheduled for April 21. Following that session, all Town patrol boats and Town Department of Maritime Services land vehicles will be equipped with Narcan kits, to be administered if needed. The harbormasters and bay constables, Supervisor Petrone noted, patrol Town waters and make regular rounds to Town beaches, so they will be available provide assistance both on land and on water.
“The two new measures help emphasize the importance the Town places on keeping our waters safe, as they are in addition to ones we have implemented over the past few years to make boaters keenly aware that safety should be on everyone’s mind when they go out for a day of enjoying their boats,” Supervisor Petrone said.
The measures began being implemented after a tragedy almost four years in Oyster Bay that took the lives of three children, who drowned when the boat in which they were watching a fireworks display capsized.
The measures have included offering increased boating safety courses, enacting legislation authorizing the Harbormaster’s Office to establish 5 mph zones during aquatic events such as the annual Huntington Lighthouse Music Fest and placing buoys carrying the warning, “Slow No Wake” in selected areas. The Town recently accepted a donation from the Greater Huntington Council of Yacht and Boating Clubs to purchase two additional “Slow No Wake” buoys.
The Town also has sponsored training courses for Town harbormasters and bay constables, as well as marine enforcement officers from the Town’s incorporated villages, into new methods of testing boaters to see if they are intoxicated. Those methods involve administering and evaluating sobriety tests on site, wherever boats are stopped for suspected intoxicated operation. Previously, suspected inebriated boaters had to be taken to the shore for the tests.
“We continue to work closely with the Coast Guard, the Suffolk County Police Department and the Greater Huntington Council to explore and implement new programs to keep our waters safe,” Councilman Mark Cuthbertson said, “But it is important that boaters themselves become our partners in these efforts.”
The Town also joins with the Greater Huntington Council to sponsor Safe Boating Week, which this year is May 21-27. The week’s activities include many free events related to maritime education, safety and enjoyment, such as a free eight hour New York State Boating Safety course, courtesy vessel safety inspections by the Coast Guard Auxiliary and Power Squadron, courses, lectures and seminars including a kayak and paddleboard safety class.
The Town will conduct the safe boating class at Town Hall May 23 and 24. Completion of the two-evening class (from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.) will enable participants to receive a state safe boating certificate. The course is free; the cost to receive the certificate is $10 for persons over the age of 18 and free for persons under the age of 18. To register, call the Harbormaster’s Office at 351-3255.
The fourth annual Waterfront Festival will be held on Sunday May 22nd from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mill Dam Park. The festival features used and new marine equipment, nautical antiques, fishing gear, several boat dealers, artists, crafts, nautical home décor and amusements for children. Food and beverages, with this year’s addition of wine and beer, are available on site. Area clubs and organizations will be on hand to answer questions about area boating and membership. A stage will host a presentation of bands from the surrounding area including the very popular Coast Guard Auxiliary Band. Free boat tours of Huntington Harbor will take place throughout the day.
In the photo: Senior Bay Constable Fred Uvena and Senior Harbormaster Ryan Sammis on the new patrol boat.
