YAPHANK, NY — Suffolk County officials are set to announce increased drunken driving patrols, and discourage the use of illegal fireworks for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday at a news conference in Yaphank.
County Executive Ed Romaine will be joined by the police department's Commissioner Kevin Catalina, Chief of Patrol William Doherty, Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services Commissioner Rudy Sunderman, Dr. Steven Sandoval, medical director of the county's Volunteer Firefighters Burn Center at Stony Brook University Hospital.
Earlier this week, Sandoval said he expects an uptick in burn patients around this time every year.
"Firework injuries range from facial burns to loss of digits or hands," he said. "Children should not be handling sparklers as they can get as hot as 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit. Sparkler burns are a common holiday injury. They can cause second-or third-degree burns. The best way to prevent burns in the first place is with safety tips and precautions to eliminate potential dangers.”
Officials will highlight the dangers of fireworks by destroying a collection of pyrotechnics in a vehicle. Residents will also be encouraged to leave the spectacle to professionals and attend public fireworks shows.
There are a number of professional shows throughout the county this weekend, including one by Grucci Fireworks at Freedom Fest at Long Island Catholic Health Amphitheater at Bald Hill in Farmingville, which draws hundreds of people from all over the county.
The county's news conference will start at 11 a.m. at the Suffolk County Fire Academy.
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