On Monday, Dec. 1, from noon to 6 p.m., community members can start the month of giving by participating in Riverhead Free Library’s blood drive, held in its Grand Room and Lobby, located at 330 Court St. in Riverhead. 

Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment, go to nybc.org.

On Friday, Dec. 5, from 1 to 7 p.m., community members can also donate blood in the Banquet Room of the Riverhead Fire Department, located at 540 Roanoke Ave. in Riverhead. 

Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment, go to nybc.org.

On Thursday, Dec. 11, from 1 to 7 p.m., members of the community are encouraged to donate blood in Riverhead Cider House’s Barrel Room, located at 2711 Sound Ave. in Calverton. 

 
Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment, go to nybc.org.

On Monday, Dec. 29, from noon to 6 p.m., community members can donate blood in übergeek Brewing Co.’s Barrel Room, located at 400 Hallett Ave. in Riverhead. 

Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment, go to nybc.org.

On Tuesday, Dec. 30, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., you can round off 2025 with one final good deed by donating blood at Shoreham-Wading River Central School District, in the building’s cafeteria, located at 250B Route 25A, Shoreham. This blood drive is in honor of Ruby and Everett. 

Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment, go to nybc.org.

Each of the above drives gives donors the opportunity to donate either whole blood or double red blood cells. The New York Blood Center recommends first-time donors to select a whole blood donation appointment. 

In order to be eligible to donate blood, eat and hydrate well beforehand, bring photo ID, feel good and be symptom-free, and meet the minimum weight requirements of 110 lbs. Donors must also be 17 or older, or 16 with parental consent. To see additional eligibility requirements, go to nybc.org.

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“It gives them time to think about if they want to come out and help the community. You know, a lot of people that come out and see the stuff that we do,” said Chief Piotr Kurzyna. “But mostly, this is for their kids to come out, have a snack and see fire extinguishers, kind of help with the fire prevention. It’s something to do with the family for the day, get the family involved with the community.” 

One hands-on activity is a simulated oven fire where attendees will be able to practice using a fire extinguisher. Attendees can also run a 2-minute drill, where they have to put on all of the fire gear before time runs out. There will also be demonstrations of extraction tools and extinguishing a vehicle fire, something people most likely have not seen in their day-to-day lives.

“There’s going to be a car that we’re going to cut off into pieces. We’re going to tell people how we do it, why we have their hose on the side, why we cut cars,” said Chief Kurzyna. “You’re going to learn how we use the tools by seeing us operating them.” 

Multiple local agencies will be on hand at the open house, including Riverhead police department, Suffolk County Fire Rescue and Emergency Services, Riverhead Town fire marshal and Suffolk County Police, who will be demonstrating some of their latest high-tech equipment.

“We also have Suffolk County [police] coming out. They have a new tool [where] you have a fire extinguisher, and you can extinguish it based on the screen, using the modern technology,” said Chief Kurzyna.

Chief Kurzyna hopes that seeing the fire department up close will help motivate people to volunteer. Many attendees are children and young adults who are experiencing this hands-on for the first time. The department hopes to restart their juniors’ program, and the open house is one way to generate interest.

“We’ll show our equipment, the firehouse, and hopefully we can get some applications,” he said.

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On Tuesday, Sept. 23, from 1 to 7 p.m., Riverhead community members are invited to participate in a blood drive held on the second floor of Riverhead Fire Department, 540 Roanoke Ave. Those who donate blood will receive baked goods and a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream from Snowflake Ice Cream Shoppe. 

Appointments are preferred but walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment, please go to nybc.org. For further questions, contact Jennifer at 516-310-2382.

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., a blood drive will be held in Conference Room B and C at Peconic Bay Medical Center, 1 Heroes Way, Riverhead.

Appointments are preferred by walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment, please go to nybc.org.

On Thursday, Oct. 2, from noon to 6 p.m., the Senator Anthony Palumbo Community Blood Drive will be held in the Grand Room and Lobby of the Riverhead Library at 330 Court St., Riverhead.

Appointments are preferred by walk-ins are welcome. To make an appointment, please go to nybc.org.

To donate, eat and hydrate well, bring photo ID, feel good and be symptom-free, and meet the minimum weight requirements of 110 lbs. Donors must also be 17 or older, or 16 with parental consent. To see additional requirements, visit nybc.org.

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Little ones and their families had the opportunity to sit in a fire truck, go inside an ambulance, see the inside of a Cybertruck and learn about local first responders and what they do. The Riverhead Police Department, Riverhead Fire Department, Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance and the U.S. Army were all there to interact and answer questions.

The water park’s mascot, Splish, also made an appearance, checking out the vehicles for himself and taking some pictures.

“It’s more of a learning moment. We try to teach the kids that there’s nothing to be scared about if you have to, God forbid, go into the ambulance,” said Joseph Oliver, vice president of the Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance. “And show them that going in the ambulance is not all about getting shots, and nothing to be scared of.”

Kids were able to sit behind the wheel of the Cybertruck and the fire truck, see all the bells and whistles they come with, pretend to drive them to the scene and get photos while doing so.

“It’s nice to go to events like this, where it’s all family-oriented,” said Mr. Oliver. “All of us have kids, so it’s nice to be able to link up like that.”

This year’s “Touch a Truck Day” marked the fifth annual installment, while the water park has been hosting its Hero Appreciation Week for over 20 years. Throughout the entire week, police officers, firefighters, first responders, military members (including active duty, retired and veterans), and doctors and nurses are all eligible for admissions discounts.

The discounted one-day tickets cost $45 for themselves and up to five additional guests, $30 off the standard price. To redeem the discount, those who apply can show their identification at the park’s main gate.

“The reason why Splish Splash has been doing this event is because it’s just a way for us to give back to our local community,” said Danielle Trombetta, Splish Splash’s director of marketing. “It’s also for our guests of all ages to interact with a police officer, someone from the fire department, an EMT or the Army, and it really helps them understand what they do.”

From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., people lined up and walked over to check out the vehicles right outside the park’s main gate. They also had the chance to go up to the U.S. Army tent and do some push-ups for some prizes and swag.

“They can speak to our local heroes, and who knows, maybe later on in life, they will become a police officer or join the military,” said Ms. Trombetta. “It’s a win-win for everyone.”

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Coinciding with the week, the park will host its annual “Touch a Truck Day” on Tuesday, Aug. 12, welcoming several Riverhead departments to participate. The Riverhead Police Department, Riverhead Fire Department, Riverhead Volunteer Ambulance and 106 Rescue Wing New York Air National Guard will all be on site. They will offer guests a behind-the-scenes look at what life is like as a first responder.

People will be able to sit in a fire truck, check out a police patrol car, take fun photos, and interact with local heroes to learn more about working in various public safety positions. The event will run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

“This week we celebrate heroes who keep our communities safe and strong,” said general manager Mike Bengtson. “Hero Appreciation Week is our way of saying thank you and to give back, see some friendly faces and continue our support for Long Island’s heroes.”

Throughout the entire week, police officers, firefighters, first responders, military members, including active duty, retired and veterans, and doctors and nurses will all be eligible for admissions discounts. The discounted one-day tickets will be $45 for themselves and up to five additional guests, $30 off the standard price. To redeem the discount, those who apply can show their identification at the park’s main gate.

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When firefighters arrived, the blaze had engulfed the two-story residence, and the first arriving fire chiefs immediately requested mutual aid from neighboring departments, including Jamesport, Manorville and Wading River, according to a news release.

Roughly 50 firefighters from the Riverhead Fire Department, along with four fire engines, two ladder trucks, one water tanker and two support vehicles, extinguished the fire after nearly two hours. Three residents of the Middle Road home were transported to Peconic Bay Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries and the flames were under control by a little after 5 a.m.

The Flanders Fire Department was on standby and handled two additional calls in Riverhead. Various volunteer ambulance companies including Flanders-Northampton, Manorville and Westhampton responded to the scene. The Mattituck Fire Department ambulance was also on standby.

Local news reports stated this is the second time in two years a fire has broken out at this location. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Riverhead Town fire marshal’s office, the Riverhead Town Detective Squad and Suffolk County Police Arson Squad.

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The night started at 11:01 p.m. when an engine, ladder truck and around 25 firefighters responded to a carbon monoxide activation on Tuesday, July 29, at Friar’s Head Golf Club at 3000 Sound Ave. After determining the alarm was activated in a golf cart storage area, the power was shut off to the impacted area, and the scene was cleared a little over a half hour later. No injuries were reported, and the Riverhead Town Fire Marshal was notified to follow up.

Two hours after responding to this call, the Riverhead Fire Department was activated once again for a fully involved commercial truck fire in front of 48 Kroemer Ave. at approximately 1:12 a.m. Nearly 50 firefighters, two engines, a ladder truck and one support vehicle extinguished the blaze. The scene was then turned over to Riverhead police and the town fire marshal.

There was only a short break for the first responders before they were alerted of a two-story residential structure fire at 6:21 a.m. and made their way to the scene at 954 Northville Turnpike. In addition to the 50 Riverhead firefighters, two engines, two ladder trucks and three support vehicles, mutual aid from neighboring departments was also requested.

The Flanders, Jamesport, East Quogue and Westhampton Beach Fire departments assisted, as well as the Flanders Northampton Volunteer Ambulance and Riverhead Town Volunteer Ambulance Corps. The Eastport Fire Department was also on standby. One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion and released.

The Riverhead Town Police Detective Division, Riverhead Fire Marshal’s Office and the Suffolk County Police Arson Squad took over the scene for further investigation at 8:26 a.m. Not long after, the Riverhead Fire Department was requested back to the home at 9:04 a.m. to extinguish a smoldering area from the previous fire.

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The Suffolk County Police maintains a marine bureau that includes 17 boats in the water across Long Island. They are also able to deploy helicopters for search and rescue operations in conjunction with local rescue operations.

All of the fire departments from Riverhead eastward have some type of marine rescue unit. Riverhead’s fire department has a complement of around 25 qualified individuals who train intensively to operate the rescue boat.

“It’s like everything else with the fire department; you’ve got to be cross-trained. If you get four guys on your rescue boat, you want them work together and know how to handle ropes, how to handle victims,” said Bill Sanok, the communications representative for the Riverhead Fire Department. “You want to work as a team, and not have any doubts that the guys next to you know what they’re doing.”

Southold Town Police Department also has a robust fleet of vessels they can deploy. How many pieces of equipment used on a given call varies based on the severity of the situation. 

“The non-priorities are a vessel ran out of fuel or has mechanical issues, and then generally, we’ll just send our harbormasters out. But if it’s a priority incident, we dispatch our officers on land to try to get a vantage point,” said Southold Police Chief Steven Grattan. 

The department has equipment on the Peconic Bay or the Long Island Sound, allowing them to respond to incidents quickly. They also have an inflatable boat on a trailer that they can put in the water from shore rather than a boat launch or pier.

 “We have three boats: two in the bay — one in Cutchogue and one in Southold — and then one up on the sound in Mattituck. For the most part, we handle these marine incidents with our local resources,” Mr. Grattan said.

The use of drones has proved a huge asset for assisting people in distress. The Southold Police have both smaller drones and a larger one capable of dropping a flotation device.

“We can communicate through the drone, we give directions. They’re incredible assets because of the capabilities of the drone and the different view that we can get. That’s certainly enhanced what we’re able to do when comes to water rescues,” said Mr. Grattan.

 The U.S. Coast Guard closed its seasonal East Moriches station last summer, transitioning to become a part of the Shinnecock station in Hampton Bays. While their focus is on the Atlantic facing South Shore, these stations do assist with rescues on the North Fork.

The reasoning behind the closure, according to Sydney Phoenix, a Coast Guard public affairs officer, was due to the “FY24 Force Realignment Initiative,” which highlights plans to mitigate a workforce shortage. According to a 2023 press release, the Coast Guard was short nearly 10 percent of its entire enlisted workforce.

“Staffing will be solely concentrated at Parent Station Shinnecock,” Ms. Phoenix said in an email. “No assets are being removed or transferred as the resources utilized by Seasonal Station East Moriches are assigned to their Parent Station. As is the case year-round, the Seasonal Station’s area of responsibility will be fully covered by its Parent Station.”

The East Moriches station was temporarily transitioned into a forward operating location. A forward operating location is a pier or facility the Coast Guard can use to extend range or base operations. The location will remain temporarily closed during the alignment period and will operate out of Shinnecock. Various small boat stations will also be temporarily changing crew staffing models and relocating. 

“These operational posture changes are temporary. If the Coast Guard had sufficient personnel, we would not be making any of these adjustments,” Ms. Phoenix said. “These changes are necessary to ensure the service remains always ready to serve the American public.”

The Coast Guard will return units to their “standard operational postures when there is sufficient personnel to fill all critical billets,” the officer added. These temporary adjustments, she said, are designed to “strategically locate and focus essential Coast Guard missions and ensure our response areas continue to have uninterrupted coverage.”

When asked how the closure has affected marine rescue on the North Fork, Chief Grattan stated that the department is proceeding much as it has in the past: “I think for the most part, our response hasn’t changed. You know, we work very well with the local fire departments and dispatch, obviously, for the fire departments and our own divisions. So whenever we have any marine incident or event, we’re responding.”

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New York State Department of Environmental Conservation spokespeople provided an update to the News-Review this week as to where the agency is at in its investigation of the site.

A multiple-building fire broke out at around 2 a.m. Wednesday, June 4, at 472 Youngs Ave. in Calverton, destroying four structures on the property. Almost 12 hours later, the flames were almost fully contained by the 250 first responders who showed up to the scene. The responders were from collective 35 different agencies, including 26 fire departments, EMS personnel and volunteer ambulances.

Crown Recycling Facility recycles scrap metal, such as stainless steel, wire, motors, radiators, batteries, lead, tin, steel, nickel, zinc, computers and electronic scrap; and disposes of solid waste and demolition debris, according to its website. It has serviced Suffolk County and the five boroughs of New York City for more than 30 years. It also works as a solid waste private charter to Riverhead Town and has the capacity of 825 tons per day of construction debris and 375 tons per day of solid waste, according to the town’s draft local solidarity waste management plan.

Residents in the area are still reeling from last week’s fire and recalled the uncertainly from that day. Tending her garden at the front of her driveway on Osborne Avenue one morning this week, Nora Mahoney said the fire smelled like plastic. She expressed concern about the possibility of asbestos in the recycled material.

“I wasn’t worried because we’re a mile away, but our water was brown, and no one told us that would happen,” Ms. Mahoney said. “If they had asbestos there, and it was burning, that would be a bad thing.”

Farther north on Osborne Avenue, the Rev. Mary Anne McElroy was sleeping when the fire erupted, and she said her granddaughter, Aysia, thought there was a fire in their house. She remembered watching nervously as several area departments pulled up outside their house to hook up to the hydrant.

“I smelled smoke, and it was coming in around the air conditioner,” the Rev. McElroy said. “I wanted to know what was going on, and they said just stay inside. It smelled like a brush fire — I’m glad it didn’t come this way.”

The NYSDEC conducted a preliminary report of the site, which found no signs of asbestos, according to previous reporting. However, at the time, Ryan McGarry, assistant regional director for the NYSDEC, said there would be a more final determination after a thorough investigation.

After the blaze simmered, the DEC’s spill response staff and an environmental conservation police officer responded immediately to identify and mitigate any off-site environmental impacts or potential impacts resulting from firefighting activities.

The day after the fire, a joint inspection of the facility was conducted by the DEC’s Division of Materials Management, Division of Environmental Remediation, Division of Law Enforcement, the Riverhead Town fire marshals and Suffolk County Department of Health.

The buildings housing incoming solid waste and processing activities were completely destroyed by the fire and were deemed unsafe by the town fire marshal at the time of the inspection, meaning the site is not allowed to be used, entered or occupied.

An initial inspection of the site was performed, as Mr. McGarry previously stated, however DEC spokespeople recently shared that due to ongoing hotspots from the fire and the waste piles outside of the facility, a complete inspection of the site was not possible. There was some construction and demolition debris, as well as municipal solid waste, stockpiled both inside and outdoors.

DMM staff directed the facility owners to remove and dispose of these materials within two weeks. Once the outdoor stockpiles are removed, a further investigation will be performed, DEC representatives said.

Additionally, Crown Recycling has a Part 360 Solid Waste Management Facility Permit, which allows them to conduct truck to truck transfers of asbestos-containing waste. The DEC’s Division of Materials Management staff confirmed with the facility owners that any activities related to asbestos-containing waste had not commenced and were not present during the fire or subsequent inspection.

Riverhead fire marshal Liam Keating said at a press conference on the day of the fire that there were no smoke detectors in the facility due to it being a pre-existing structure. Mr. Keating declined to comment on any outstanding violations or record of inspections of Crowns Recycling. The Riverhead News-Review filed a Freedom of Information Law Request through the Riverhead Town Clerk’s Office for these documents and received confirmation the request is under review.

In terms of known violations, the DEC entered into a consent order with Crown Recycling in 2018 for violations related to the storage of construction and demolition debris. This consent order required the facility to fund a DEC on-site environmental monitor to oversee compliance with the permit and consent order terms during operating hours.

Waste and recyclables that were previously disposed by Colucci Carting at Crown Sanitation will transported by Colucci to Winter Brothers in Brookhaven and North Fork Recycling in Mattituck, respectively, until further notice. Any curbside collection will be unaffected by the Crown Recycling fire, according to a recent Riverhead Town media release.

Information about any air pollutants from the fire is not available yet, but Frank Mancini, superintendent of the Riverhead Water District, said that the area is a former dumpsite, which has resulted in water contamination in the area unrelated to Crown Sanitation. Although the water district does not maintain wells or capture zones nearby, limited monitoring is done because of the former dump. But sampling is not done routinely. 

Mr. Mancini said he understands residents’ concerns, and noted that “the water district doesn’t remove any water from the ground over there because it’s previously impacted.” 

“That’s an area I would avoid as a water supplier,” he said. “It’s a terrible thing, but it happened in an old dump where the groundwater is already contaminated.”

In the near future, he mentioned there may be more internal conversations and a larger review with the Suffolk County Emergency Management Office to discuss how to be better prepared for these types of emergencies. 

Additional reporting by Deborah Wetzel.

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Riverhead membership seems to be an outlier. They are able to consistently fill trucks and get them to the emergency, whether that is an active fire or an automatic alarm.

“We’re 160 right now. We probably have about 70 to 80 active, like that are really gung ho. So for the most part, you’ll probably get 20 to 25 guys during a day for good fire, and at nighttime, you’ll end up getting 50 or 60 plus, you know, besides mutual aid or anything,” said Chief Ray Jacobs.

While recruitment is still adequate, it is not as strong as it could be, according to Chief Jacobs, who has 12 years in Riverhead. He started in the fire department in East Marion and has 30 total years of service.

“It’s becoming difficult, especially after the cost everything went up. People are working two or three jobs. It’s very, very difficult when you first join in the fire department,” he said. “It’s a lot of demanding hours you have to have to be a fireman. A lot of people are having a hard time doing all that training, but for the most part they get it done. We’re pretty fortunate.

“Obviously, you know, the older ones are starting to come to the point to where they can’t [perform their duties] anymore, and [recruits] really need to learn from the older guys because they’re experienced. There’s a lot of tricks and things that they can learn from them,” Chief Jacobs added.

Firefighter training has gotten more demanding, with additional training hours required at the federal level plus additional training for the specific equipment and conditions volunteers will see in their communities. This includes taking into account larger buildings, standpipes and brush training. 

“Riverhead’s changing. And we also have to change, like now we have to deal with standpipes. It’s a different type of firefighting because of the larger buildings, and not to mention there’s something getting built every week around here. So it’s just like the alarms keep on going up and the demand keeps going up. We ran 1,435 alarms last year. It doesn’t sound like much, but some days it’ll be quiet and next thing you know, you’re running 9, 10, 13 alarms during a day or at night. You’re up all night, and then you have to work.”

Training classes are held both in person and online to accommodate busy schedules. There are a number of alternatives for those who struggle with the test, so officials say potential volunteers should not let the exam deter them if they are interested. 

Once fire school is complete, recruits are on probation for their first year of service, with more required training.

“We require more than going to the school, because obviously, you can’t have somebody get hurt, so they have to learn. So that first year of being in here is very, very difficult. It’s very demanding. You know, we have probie training every Monday,” said Chief Jacobs. “You’re required to be there so that they can teach you things that you must learn, from opening a hydrant to all the small things besides going inside a fire.”

Completing the training is essential so that the other volunteers know they can rely on every member of the company. This dependability allows the firefighters to trust that everyone knows what they are doing in a crisis.

“Make sure that you have the time when you come here, because it is important to learn everything that we put forth or that is required by the state or federal level, because it can kill you,” said Marissa Daiml, a member of the Riverhead Fire Department for over 20 years. “There’s no shortcuts. I need to know if I’m going into a burning building with somebody that passed just the same [as] I did. And they need to also know the same for me.”

While there are definite sacrifices required in order to be a firefighter, there is also a sense of purpose that comes with serving the community in this way. 

“Sometimes, you may miss that dinner with your family, you may miss a party, a birthday party or whatever. But you get that feeling that you’re there for the community to help them, and when you succeed on that job, it’s a good feeling. We’re there to help everybody, and we’re here as one big family. This is your family too, and we’re all here for each other,” said Captain Brandon Caskey.

With the changing demographics in Riverhead, the department has seen an increase in the number of Hispanic volunteers. There is also a large contingent of Polish-speaking firefighters. This influx has made it easier to communicate with residents in an emergency, and strengthened trust with the community they serve.

“Now that we have all these diverse cultures here, it also helps when you have a problem going on, and to help [the people in danger]. They might not feel comfortable talking to me because I’m different, but they’ll talk to the other guys, so it has helped,” said Second Lieutenant Jonathan Visek.

Riverhead is trying to bring back its junior firefighter program, which helps high school students join the department and complete their training ahead of graduation. 

“We were actually talking about maybe starting a juniors again, but we need to figure out who’s going to run it, because it’s a lot of work,” said Chief Jacobs. “We’re actually looking into that right now, thinking that maybe that would work.”

After volunteers are trained, housing is an issue for retention. Renting is unstable, and when people are priced out of buying homes in their community, they must go somewhere more affordable. All of the time they have invested in learning how to fight fires goes with them.

“You take that many years of training, you get used to having somebody there on the fire. You know you’re in good shape when you see that person. Next thing you know, they’re going because they don’t have a place to live,” said Chief Jacobs.

Still, all of the sacrifices and time are worth it for those who stay. Ms. Daiml encourages everyone to give it a try, especially if they are seeking a higher calling.

“You can do it. Whatever background you’re from, you know, male, female, it doesn’t matter. You’ll do great. We’re all here to support. Nobody wants to see anybody leave. We want to give you all the support that you need to stay, be successful in this department, and reach your goals,” she said. “I have two young kids. I my daughter’s almost 2, my son’s almost 4. I bring them here. And that goes back to we’re one big family. We are able to help everybody with that — and help you through that period of your life, and understand. It’s doable if you want to do it.”

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