Blood drive Saturday in Commack in memory of Officer Glen Ciano

Suffolk County police will partner with the Commack Fire Department on Saturday for the 13th annual blood drive in memory of Officer Glen Ciano.

Ciano was killed by a drunken driver while responding to a call Feb. 22, 2009, in Commack. For the past 13 years, his family has joined the New York Blood Center, Suffolk police and the fire department seeking to fulfill a need for New York’s blood supply, which has fallen to critical levels, according to Suffolk County police.

There has been a chronic shortage of blood supplies in New York since the pandemic. They remain below two-day levels for blood types O-, O+, B-, and A-. Blood banks tend to try to keep five-day levels, police said.

The New York Blood Center has said the pandemic led donations to plummet and they have not yet recovered.

The blood drive is planned Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Commack Fire Department at 6309 Jericho Tpke.

By John Asbury

john.asbury@newsday.comJohnAsbury

John Asbury is a breaking news and general assignment reporter. He has been with Newsday since 2014 and previously worked at The Press-Enterprise in Riverside, California.