Westchester County First Responders Now Required to Carry EpiPens Following Unanimous Vote
WHITE PLAINS, NY - In a move hailed by allergy advocates, Westchester County first responders are now mandated to carry epinephrine auto-injectors, commonly known as EpiPens, following the unanimous passage of a new law. The measure, approved this week, aims to improve emergency response to severe allergic reactions, potentially saving lives in critical situations.
The mandate builds upon “gio’s Law,” a New York State law enacted in 2019 and amended last year, spurred by the tragic loss of Giovanni Cornago, a Long Island boy who died from a peanut allergy attack. Gio’s Law originally enabled law enforcement to carry EpiPens, and this expansion extends that life-saving capability to all first responders within Westchester county. Jared Saiontz, a Westchester resident with severe allergies, expressed relief, stating, “I could get stung by a bee and have an allergic reaction, and I might not even be able to tell someone where my EpiPens are. Now even with this law going into place in Westchester County, it just makes me feel much more safe.”
The law’s passage comes after a similar mandate was implemented in suffolk County in September, where first responders swiftly utilized an EpiPen to save a man experiencing a severe reaction to a bee sting just days later. Stacey Saiontz, Jared’s mother, emphasized the importance of this fast intervention, saying, “Knowing FR will be there to help, knows what to do and can save his life, so important.”
Georgina Cornago, Giovanni’s mother and driving force behind Gio’s Law, shared that the legislation honors her son’s desire to help others through increased allergy awareness. Advocates are now pushing for a federal mandate requiring epinephrine auto-injectors be carried by first responders nationwide.
