__________________ SEAFORD _________________
HERALD $1.00
haunted musical heads to Wantagh
Driver crashes into school
MacArthur shoots for playoffs
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Vol. 69 No. 43
october 21 - 27, 2021
Grant assists Seaford F.D. Sen. Brooks’s funding to be used for new equipment, generator by MAllory WilsoN mwilson@liherald.com
Kate Nalepinski/Herald
the seAforD fire Department has received $600,000 in funding for new equipment from the office of State Senator John Brooks, who is a former chief of the department.
The Seaford Fire Department has received a $600,000 grant from New York state to fund the purchase of new generators and breathing apparatus. The funding came from State Sen. John Brooks’s office, Michael Reid, Brooks’s chief of staff, said. A total of about $2.3 million was distributed to fire districts throughout Senate District 8. The Seaford F.D. requested funding for an emergency generator to power the firehouse in
the event of a power outage, Reid said. The department also requested money for breathing equipment used by firefighters working at the scene of a fire. Approximately $350,000 was appropriated for the generator, and the remaining funds went toward the breathing equipment. The funding comes from the state budget. Each senator is advised how much funding is available for projects in his or her district, Reid explained. Sen. Brooks announced during Fire Prevention Week, Oct. 3-9, Continued on page 7
Legionnaires’ disease outbreak is under investigation by KAte NAlepiNsKi knalepinski@Liherald.com
At least one person has died after contracting Legionnaires’ disease following an outbreak on the Wantagh-Levittown border, according to the Nassau County Department of Health. Roughly 10 people within a one-mile radius of the intersection of Wantagh Avenue and Old Jerusalem Road have fallen ill with Legionellosis. They ranged in age from 35 to 96, and were identified over the past three weeks. Legionellosis is caused by a type of bacteria called Legionella, which are found naturally in
the environment and transmitted by aerosolized water. People can contract the disease when breathing in a mist or vapor that contains the bacteria. “Unlike Covid-19, Legionnaires is not something that can be transmitted from person to person and is typically the result of inhaling water vapor from a contaminated indoor ventilation system,” County Legislator Steve Rhoads wrote in an emailed statement. The Department of Health stated that the bacteria are most commonly found in cooling towers, fountains, spray parks, hot tubs, whirlpool spas, showers and faucets. But it was unclear
at press time what caused the local outbreak. Hempstead Town Councilman Dennis Dunne said that town officials recently spoke with Health Department officials to gather information on the disease and how to advise residents. T h e c o u n t y w a s a c t ive ly researching what caused the outbreak, said Dunne, whose district encompasses Levittown and portions of Wantagh. “We’re anxiously awaiting a response from those in the health field about what’s going on and how we can best help our residents to avoid the disease,” he said. “We’re trying to stay on top of it so we can help residents
stay away from whatever it is that’s causing this.” Symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease can include cough, shortness of breath, high fever, and muscle and headaches, according to the Health Department. The disease requires treatment with antibiotics, but most cases are treated successfully. Accord-
ing to the World Health Organization, the disease usually lasts between two and five days and can range from a mild cough to fatal pneumonia. There have been confirmed cases of the disease at St. Joseph’s Hospital, in Bethpage, and NYU Langone Hospital Long Island, in Mineola. Dunne said Continued on page 13