Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Groveland Police Follow School Buses to Ensure Safe Transports

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Groveland Police Department
Jeffrey Gillen, Chief
Public Safety Building
181 Main St
Groveland, MA 01834

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Groveland Police Follow School Buses to Ensure Safe Transports

The Groveland Police Department is shadowing school buses along their routes to ensure drivers are obeying state laws. (Courtesy Photo Georgetown Police)

GROVELAND — To ensure children are able to safely enter and exit their school buses, and that drivers are aware of the rules of the road, the Groveland Police Department is shadowing school buses along their routes.

Beginning the week of Nov. 19, after receiving complaints of cars passing buses while stopped with their flashing red lights on, officers began accompanying buses in the mornings and afternoons in marked and unmarked cruisers.

Drivers who fail to stop for a school bus with its red lights activated are subject to a $250 fine, and motorists with two or more offenses can have their licenses revoked.

Since implementing this safety campaign, two drivers have been stopped and were issued warnings.

“We want drivers to be aware that officers will be monitoring bus routes to ensure all laws are followed and children are safe,” Chief Jeffrey Gillen said. “By addressing this proactively, we hope to prevent accidents and injuries.”

According to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH), approximately 400,000 students in the state are transported to school by bus every year.

School buses are a relatively safe form of transportation. DPH reports that the majority of related injuries occur to pedestrians who are boarding or exiting a bus and are hit by passing traffic or while in one of the bus driver’s blind spots. Children ages 4 to 7 are at the highest risk of injury.

Residents should remember that:

  • State law requires drivers to stay at least 100 feet behind a school bus at all times.
  • Motorists also must stop for school buses and school vans when red lights are flashing. Be on the lookout for flashing yellow and red lights, and be ready to stop.
  • Never pass a school bus when its stop sign arm is down and red lights are flashing.
  • Do not begin driving again until the flashing red lights are turned off, the stop sign is put back in place and the bus begins moving.

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Canton Fire Department Urges Elderly Residents to Attend Presentation on Alcohol and Drug Abuse

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Canton Fire Department
Chief Charles E. Doody
99 Revere St.
Canton, MA 02021

For Immediate Release

Friday, Sept. 14, 2018

Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Canton Fire Department Urges Elderly Residents to Attend Presentation on Alcohol and Drug Abuse

CANTON — Chief Charles E. Doody announces that the Canton Fire Department will be partnering with the Canton Alliance Against Substance Abuse (CAASA) to host an informational presentation about alcohol and drug use and misuse among older adults next week.

“This is an important topic to broach not matter what someone’s age is. Alcohol and drug abuse affects many lives and there is help available,” Chief Doody said. “Hopefully this presentation will be helpful to some of our older residents.”

WHEN:

Thursday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m.

WHERE:

Canton Senior Center, 500 Pleasant St.

WHO:

  • Canton Alliance Against Substance Abuse
  • Canton Fire Department
  • Canton Police Department
  • Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Programs

WHAT:

Carol Girard from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health Bureau of Substance Addiction Programs will be speaking at the Canton Senior Center.

Topics of her presentation will include:

  • Alcohol and older adult health
  • Trends driving increases in alcohol and drug use among older adults
  • Prescription medications and opioids, their interaction with alcohol and other drugs
  • Safe storage and disposal of unused medicine
  • Treatment resources and support options

In order to attend the presentation, please call 781-828-1323 to RSVP.

About CAASA:

CAASA was established in 2013 to address youth substance abuse. Its collaboration allows for a 360 degree perspective on the issues affecting Canton and how best to address them. Meetings are held on the third Monday monthly at the Canton Fire Department. 

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Arlington Department of Health and Human Services Provides Guidelines After Bat Tests Positive for Rabies

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Retained by the Town of Arlington Health and Human Services Department

Town of Arlington
Department of Health and Human Services
Christine Bongiorno, Director
27 Maple St.
Arlington, MA 02476

For Immediate Release

Thursday, March 9, 2017

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Contact: Christine Bongiorno
Phone: 781-316-3170
Email:  [email protected]

Arlington Department of Health and Human Services Provides Guidelines After Bat Tests Positive for Rabies

ARLINGTON – The Arlington Department of Health and Human Services (AHHS) is reminding residents of several safety tips and guidelines after a bat found in a home tested positive for rabies this week.

On Wednesday, March 8, a bat was found on the floor of an Arlington residence and tested positive for rabies. The bat was alive, but there were no indications that anyone was bit.

Rabies is caused by a virus which is usually spread from animal to animal, but it can also spread from an infected animal to a person. Rabies spreads when an infected animal bites another animal or person, or if their saliva gets into a scratch or wound, eyes, nose or mouth of another animal or person.

It is rare for people to get rabies in the United States. Approximately 55,000 people die from rabies every year around the world, and only one or two of those deaths occur in the United States. However, any possible contact with bats, including a bite, scratch or finding a bat in a room, should be taken seriously. Bat teeth are so small that a person may not realize they have been bitten.

“While rabies in humans is extremely rare in our area, it is important to take the safety precautions seriously when dealing with bats,” said Christine Bongiorno, Director of Health and Human Services in Arlington. “If you have any concern that you may have come in contact with a bat or other wild animal, please contact the health department right away.”

If a bat is found inside your home, AHHS recommends following tips from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to safely capture it:

Gather the following items for a bat capture kit:

  • Gloves – heavy, preferably pliable, thick leather.
  • Kitchen tongs or forceps – 9 to 12 inches in length.
  • Coffee can or a similar container – preferably with a tight-fitting lid.
  • Sheet of cardboard
  • Tape
  • Net – with fine mesh and a long handle.
  • Flashlight – to locate the bat without scaring the animal and causing it to fly around in alarm.

To capture a bat on a wall:

  • Close the doors and windows to the room and wait until the bat lands.
  • Approach the bat slowly, placing the container over the animal.
  • Slide the cardboard between the wall and the container, lifting them away from the wall as one unit.
  • Slowly slide the cardboard off the container while simultaneously attaching the appropriate sized lid.
  • Tape the lid to the container so the bat cannot escape and label the container so it is not accidentally opened.

To capture a bat in a high place or in flight, come from behind the animal using a net. Transfer the bat to a container with forceps or thick leather gloves.

If you have captured a bat, and believe there may have been any exposure to a resident or pet, immediately contact AHHS at 781-316-3170 and the animal control officer at 781-645-8014. They will help you to determine if there was an exposure and whether the bat should be submitted to the state lab for testing.

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City of Gloucester Responds to Needles Found Discarded on Streets and in Public Places

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For Immediate Release

Tuesday, July 5, 2015

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 978-865-4110
Email: [email protected]

City of Gloucester Responds to Needles Found Discarded on Streets and in Public Places

GLOUCESTER — Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, Police Chief Leonard Campanello and Department of Public Works Director Michael Hale seek to inform the public about a number of initiatives being undertaken to diminish the number of discarded hypodermic needles being left in the City of Gloucester.

Gloucester, like virtually every community in the nation, is in the midst of an unprecedented spike in heroin and opioid abuse. Discarded needles are a concern in every city in the Commonwealth, but department heads in Gloucester are committed to not only cleaning up the streets and gathering spots but to also preventing used needles from becoming potentially dangerous litter in the first place.

With the support of Mayor Romeo Theken, the North Shore Health Project will be applying for a waiver from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health for the establishment of a Pilot Program for the exchange of needles in the City of Gloucester. This is part of a comprehensive Harm Reduction Program that will include testing, education, Narcan distribution and referral to treatment. Pending DPH approval, the site is scheduled to open in mid-September. An important goal of the program is to reduce the amount of needles discarded on city streets and to reduce the likelihood that dirty needles will be reused by those with substance use disorders. Dirty needles can lead to transmission of disease and a host of other problems for intravenous drug users.gloucester needles

Used syringes and other sharps should always be placed in a sharps container and disposed of safely — either at a drop-off site or in a mail-back program. Do not clip, bend, or recap needles and always keep sharps and containers away from children and pets. 

Established drop off sites in the City:

  • North Shore Health Project, 5 Center St. Phone: 978-283-0101 
  • Addison Gilbert Hospital, 298 Washington St., Main Fisher Entrance Phone: 978-283-4000 
  • Gloucester Police Department, 197 Main St. Phone: 978-283-1212

“Dirty and improperly disposed needles pose a problem for everyone, from users, to tourists, to children who may come across them,” Mayor Romeo Theken said. “Gloucester does not ignore our citizens who have asked for leadership and safety in our community, but the reality is that we’re in the middle of a nationwide heroin epidemic which cannot be ignored, even here. We offer treatment options, we conduct outreach, and we are committed to proper needle disposal as a sanitation and quality of life issue that we must tackle as a community, together.”

In addition to the exchange program, Gloucester Public Works will have crews in the city assigned to clean up any litter from streets, parks, and beaches. Special attention will be paid to the Niles Beach area, where multiple syringes have been spotted in recent weeks.

“Our public works crews, in cooperation with Mayor Romeo Theken’s office, are on the lookout for discarded needles and other litter,” Director Hale said. “This is a quality of life issue for our community, and we are committed to cleaning up and working with the city to raise awareness.”

Gloucester Police will also step up patrols at town parks and beaches to dissuade drug use in public gathering places.

“The rise of heroin and other opioids across the nation has a ripple effect, and discarded needles are another way this crisis affects a community,” Chief Campanello said.

Finally, the City and Police Department have taken great strides with the Gloucester ANGEL Initiative toward addressing addiction from its root causes. Since the program’s inception in June 2015, dozens of used needles have been turned into police by program participants, who are then transported for treatment across Massachusetts and the nation.

The city reminds all residents: If you find a needle on a sidewalk or other public way, do not pick it up, instead please call the Gloucester Police Department non-emergency line at 978-283-1212. Provide the location of the needle with as much detail as possible so that the responding officer can locate the waste.

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