The Suffolk County Police Department and the Purple Rock Project joined together on July 11 at Patchogue’s Alive at 5 street event and trained more than 360 people in the use of Naloxone (Narcan) and distributed 738 doses of the life-saving antidote to opioid overdose.
SCPD Emergency Medical Service Officers Jason Byron and Alex Trzepizur conducted the Narcan trainings alongside a “memorial rocks and informational” station run by Purple Rock Project founder and parent Carole Trottere. The Purple Rock Project (PRP) supplies purple painted rocks that can be inscribed with the name of a loved one lost to overdose. The rocks are then exhibited at the Suffolk County Environmental Center at the Scully Estate, Tree Memorial and Serenity Garden, 550 South Bay Avenue, Islip and other locations as a reminder of how many Long Islanders have died from O.D. and fentanyl poisonings.
“Writing a child’s name on a rock may seem like a small thing, but I think it is a way of saying to the world that their child was once here,” said Trottere, who lost her son Alex in 2018. “One young woman said she had so many names to write on a rock that she “ran out of room.”
Throughout the Alive at 5 event attendees were educated about Narcan and the risks associated with illicit drug use. Byron also talked to many young teens and adults about the 911 Good Samaritan Law, which allows people to call 911 without fear of arrest if they are having a drug or alcohol overdose that requires emergency medical care or if they witness someone overdosing. Police Officer Jesse Levy and Police Officer Shakara Richardson from the Community Relations Bureau were also on hand to help with the Narcan training and answer questions.
The Behavioral Health Unit, Sgt. Christopher Ingoglia and Police Officer Gina Lauricella, assisted with the distribution of the Narcan.
Look for the Narcan training table and The Purple Rock Project at Alive at 5 in Bay Shore July 23, August 13, August 20, and Alive at 5 in Patchogue on July 25 and August 8.
If you are interested in sponsoring a community event, contact the Community Relations Bureau at SCPDCRB@suffolkcountyny.gov
If you have lost a loved one to O.D. or fentanyl poisoning, and you would like to incorporate a Narcan training into a memorial event for your child, or loved one, please contact Police Officer Bridget Topping at bridget.topping@suffolkcountyny.gov
For more information about The Purple Rock Project visit our Facebook page.
