Red Watch Band Movement

On March 23, 2010, 17 brave Massapequa High School – Ames Campus students took action against the binge-drinking epidemic by completing a five-hour alcohol emergency-response training course recently developed by Stony Brook University. These students are now Massapequa’s first members of the “Red Watch Band” movement.
The goal of the “Red Watch Band” program is to ensure that all students are provided with accurate information about the dangers of alcohol use, signs and symptoms of an alcohol emergency, and when, where, and how to get help when every second counts.
Students and administrators from Stony Brook University spearheaded this unique program in response to the toxic/binge-drinking epidemic on high school and college campuses across the country. Licensed mental health professionals and substance abuse specialists designed curriculum for the course. Students participated in two hours of alcohol emergency training, three hours of CPR/AED training, and will attend follow-up meetings to discuss their experiences, reinforce skills, and recruit new students when more training becomes available.
To celebrate the achievement and commitment of the students, administration and staff treated them to a special reception named “Heros for Heroes,” during which students snacked on subs and salads, and had the opportunity to mingle and discuss all they have learned from the program.
The facilitation of the “Red Watch Band” program in the district was coordinated by school social workers Kimberly Hession, LCSW (Ames), and Joanne Waters, LCSW (MHS); school psychologist Dr. Jeffery Silberman (Ames), and school nurse Kathy Perednia, RN, Certified CPR Instructor (Ames).