New Bedford

*MEDIA ADVISORY* Fairhaven Police to Participate in 7th Annual “Fill the Bus Toy Drive”

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Fairhaven Police Department
Kevin W. Kobza, Sergeant/PIO
1 Bryant St.
Fairhaven, MA 02719

For Immediate Release

Monday, Dec. 4, 2017

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

*MEDIA ADVISORY*

Fairhaven Police to Participate in 7th Annual “Fill the Bus Toy Drive”

FAIRHAVEN — Fairhaven Police Sgt. Kevin Kobza would like to invite residents throughout the South Coast to participate in the seventh Annual “Fill the Bus Toy Drive” hosted by the non-profit group Safe Zones.

WHEN:

Saturday, Dec. 9, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE:

Walmart, 42 Fairhaven Commons Way, Fairhaven

WHAT:

The Fairhaven Police Department will once again be teaming up with the local anti-bullying group Safe Zones for their annual toy drive. They will be collecting toys, loading them onto school buses and distributing them to children throughout the South Coast this holiday season.

“We look forward to this event every year. Having so many people in the community come out and support this fantastic cause is really great to see,” Sgt. Kobza said. “No child should go without during the holidays and this is our way of making sure that doesn’t happen.”

Those who would like to participate can drop off new, unwrapped toys to the Fairhaven Walmart parking lot on Saturday. Toys for boys and girls of all age groups will be accepted. Please, no toys that simulate weapons, such as toy guns.

“Last year we filled seven school buses with hundreds of toys. It’s certainly a labor of love,” said Safe Zones Founder Jerry Pinto said. “We encourage everyone to come out and drop off toys. Every single one of them will help put a smile on a child’s face this holiday season.”

In addition to Fairhaven, toys will also be collected on Saturday at:

  • Target, 479 State Road, Dartmouth, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Acushnet Police Department, 64 Middle Road, Acushnet, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
  • New Bedford Police Headquarters, 871 Rockdale Ave., New Bedford, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Toys can also be donated at police stations in Fairhaven, Dartmouth, Acushnet and New Bedford until Dec. 24.

For more information or for a pickup of five or more items, email [email protected].

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Standard-Times: Narcan reversing an overdose almost once a day in New Bedford

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We have been talking a lot about Narcan recently, as more and more police and fire agencies turn to the drug to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses in drug users.

Our client, the Chelmsford Police Department, recently deployed nasal Narcan in all of its police cruisers, for example.

Now comes news from the New Bedford Standard-Times that police and emergency agencies in that city are reversing the effects of a heroin overdose almost every, single day with Narcan, since police and fire were given the drug on April 26.

Imagine how many lives that has saved — but imagine if you can the scope of the opioid problem in the South Coast if this carries over to 300-400 instances per year?

“If that many people are overdosing, then we have a serious opiate problem, Detective Capt. Steven Vicente, the NBPD public information officer, told the newspaper.

First responders started widespread use of Narcan after Governor Deval Patrick declared heroin to be a public health crisis, giving the state Department of Public Health sweeping powers to act against the epidemic.