After the overwhelming isolation New Yorkers have experienced during this pandemic, it’ll be the “Roaring 20s” as they’ll literally and figuratively be “itching” to get out and visit our state parks and recreate.

 

Hikers, campers, swimmers, hunters, and picnickers will be out in force.

 

They’ll be bites and allergic reactions.

 

That’s why we need our park rangers, forest rangers and environmental conservation police officers to be able to carry life-saving EpiPens to help respond to a severe allergic reaction.

 

Epinephrine injectors, also known as “EpiPens,” are used to reverse the effects of severe allergic reactions or anaphylaxis from bee stings, drug reactions, food allergies or exercise-induced shock.

 

I have introduced bi-partisan legislation with Assemblyman Angelo Santabarbara, S.4375/A.4652, that authorizes forest rangers, park rangers and environmental conservation police officers to possess and administer EpiPens.  This measure provides clarity in the law for nearly 700 professionals including park rangers and park police who patrol and work in over 18.6 million acres of New York State forested lands.

 

The list of authorized individuals under New York State law who can administer an EpiPen includes EMTs, children’s overnight camp and summer day camp employees, staff at public and private schools, as well as employees who work at sports and entertainment venues, amusement parks, restaurants, youth organizations and sports leagues, daycare facilities and retail establishments.  Law enforcement and firefighters were added into the law in 2019 thanks to legislation I authored and sponsored in 2019.