13th Annual Irish Italian International Festival Saturday, September 24, 10am-4pm on Main Street in North Myrtle Beach

The City of North Myrtle Beach will host the 13^thAnnual Irish Italian International Festival on Saturday, September 24, 10am-4pm on Main Street. Festival admission and parking are free.

This one day, rain or shine event brings approximately 15,000 people to celebrate different cultures. The festival will offers food vendors, two stages of live entertainment, and art & craft vendors, all catering to an Irish Italian International theme. A children's area offers inflatables and activities.

Vendors will compete for the titles of Best Entrée, Best Decorated, and Best Dessert.

Festival-goers can sign up for Claudio’s Spaghetti Eating Contest, sponsored by Villa Romana, in person at the Info Booth or the CIAO booth between 10 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. at the festival.

Festival Sponsors include CIAO from the Carolinas, WFXB Fox TV, Easy 105.9, Home Depot, Flynn’s Irish Tavern and the Ancient Order of Hibernians.

Entertainment Schedule Irish Stage – 421 Main Street (in front of Flynn’s Irish Tavern)

10:00 a.m. – The Academy of Dance and Fine Arts

10:30 a.m. - Opening Ceremonies

10:45 a.m. – Band on the Rum

11:30 a.m. – Port City Pipes and Drums

11:50 p.m. – Band on the Rum

1:00 p.m. – Off Kilter

2:45 p.m. – Off Kilter

Italian Stage – 400 Main Street (in front of Hope Taylor & Co.)

10:00 a.m. - Dale Mosher

10:30 a.m. - Opening Ceremonies

10:45 a.m. - Dale Mosher

1:00 p.m. - Larry Tanelli

2:15 p.m. - Claudio’s Spaghetti Eating Contest, sponsored by Villa Romana

2:45 p.m. - Atwater

For more information, visit parks.nmb.us, or for day of the event news, please call the North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department at (843) 280-5594.

North Myrtle Beach Fire/Rescue Division will now carry Narcan

Emergency medical technicians within the North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety’s Fire/Rescue Division will now carry the lifesaving drug, Narcan.  Previously only certified paramedics were allowed to administer Narcan in South Carolina, however, the South Carolina Department of Health & Environmental Control (DHEC) has approved Narcan use by emergency medical technicians with the approval of a department’s medical director.

Narcan is used for individuals who have overdosed on Opioid drugs such as Heroin, Fentanyl, Vicodin, Dilaudid, Demerol, and Percocet.  Narcan is used when individuals are found to be unresponsive, have little or no respirations, and exhibit pinpoint pupils.  Narcan is pushed into an individual’s nose via a misting device, similar to a nasal spray.  The drug quickly reduces the effects of Opiods in the body, allowing an individual to begin breathing again. 

Statistics

In 2013 there were 24,500 deaths in the United States due to Opioid overdose or an average of one life every 21 minutes.

Since March 2016, North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety detectives have logged 30 known overdoses of heroin/fentanyl with four being fatal.  This does not include any Opioid-based pills.

According to DHEC, there are currently only three other fire departments in South Carolina that allow their emergency medical technicians to administer Narcan.  In our area, the Myrtle Beach Fire Department also recently began to carry Narcan.

In 2015 Horry County was second in the state for Narcan use. Greenville County was first with 709.

The numbers this year for Narcan use in Horry County already surpassing what Greenville County did during all of 2015 and will likely exceed 1,000 by the end of the year. That equates to about 20% of the entire state’s use of Narcan by emergency medical technicians by only 6% of the state’s population. 

Annual 9/11 Memorial Beach Walk

Firefighters, police, EMT and members of the military will gather in North Myrtle Beach Sunday morning to pay tribute to the victims of the September 11 attack on the United States.

Dressed from head to toe in the same gear and equipment as the brothers and sisters used that day they lost their lives, they will walk 9 miles along the sand as a way to commemorate the first responders and all those who died in the terrorist attacks on The World Trade Centers; on Flight 93, and at the Pentagon.

The Walk will begin at 9:11 am at 48th Avenue South and continue along the beach to the Cherry Grove section around 56th Ave North. This is the fourth year for the North Myrtle Beach 9-11 Beach Walk.

Nearly 350 firefighters died for each other and the people they were trying to save on September 11, 2001. In addition, 23 New York City police officers also made the sacrifice.
Every year men and women come on the beach to attend the event from various areas in Horry County, across the state, and other parts of the country.

Sc Department Of Motor Vehicles Application For The Hearing Impaired

South Carolina Code of Law §56-1-205 and 56-3-1920 allows a person who has been certified with uncorrectable hearing loss of 40 decibels or more in one or both ears to obtain a special hearing impaired restriction like emoticon(Y) along with outside mirror restriction (J) on his or her driver’s license/beginner’s permit and/or a hearing impaired placard.

This placard and/or driver’s license/beginner’s permit restriction is to alert law enforcement and others to the driver’s condition and may NOT be used for special parking privileges.

There is a limit of one (1) placard per applicant. To apply for the restriction and/or the placard, the person must have a current driver’s license/beginner’s permit and a physician’s statement certifying the hearing loss. (NOTE: A physician’s statement is not required for a replacement or renewal.)

An application is attached and it can also be accessed online at http://www.scdmvonline.com/dmvnew/Forms/RG-004A.pdf

For answers to questions, call the SC Department of Motor Vehicles at (803) 896-5000.

We thank area resident Michelle Barden for this information. Michelle was concerned by a news story about an incident in another state involving a hearing impaired person and law enforcement. She has met with city officials and we have enjoyed talking with her and learning from her.

Nmb Public Safety Personnel To Walk 9 Miles Of Beach In Full Gear In Remembrance Of 9/11 Brothers & Sisters

In 2011, North Myrtle Beach Public Safety personnel felt the need to show respect to those who had given the ultimate sacrifice when the United States came under attack on September 11, 2001.

(Photo is from a previous 9/11 NMB Public Safety Dept Beach Walk.)

On that 10^th anniversary of 9/11, in an effort to memorialize all who perished, were injured and were otherwise involved in the events of that tragic day, department personnel elected to walk the entire 9 mile stretch of beach within the city of North Myrtle Beach, dressed from head to toe in the same gear and equipment as their brothers and sisters used on the day they lost their lives.

At first, they walked quietly and solemnly, not knowing if their task was even possible to complete. They soon realized that walking 9 miles in the hot sun on the beach would be an arduous task, and the need for conversation was a must. They began to discuss among themselves the events that had taken place that day and their memories of it, and they shared with each other the stories of those they had lost.

Lost in conversation as they walked the beach that day, they did not realize that as they marched that beach-goers had begun to salute the flags they carried, placing their hands on their hearts as the public safety personnel passed by.  People also began walking with them for short distances, thanking them, and shaking their hands. The marchers then realized that what they had set out to do for themselves also provided those around them with an opportunity to show respect as well.

With the overwhelming support they received that day, Public Safety personnel knew they could not stop until they had reached their destination. Mentally and physically, they supported each other through their journey. And, with a few stops along the way, drenched in sweat, aching from head to toe, they finally achieved their goal.

Each year since, the walk has continued to provide an outlet for Public Safety employees, residents, and visitors to remember the victims of the attacks on 9/11. The walk honors the countless first responders and military personnel who responded that day, and those who continue to protect the nation.

Now joined by multiple agencies, branches of the military, and family members, the walk has grown beyond what its founders had imagined.

This year marks the 15^th anniversary of the tragic events of 9/11/2001 and the 5^th year of the Beach Walk.

The public is invited to join with North Myrtle Beach Public Safety personnel as they again walk the entire beach on 9/11 in remembrance of their brothers and sisters.

WALK INFORMATION

Start: 9:00 a.m. at  48th Avenue South on the beach.

Conclusion: About 63rd Avenue North on the beach.

For additional information, please contact Fire Engineer Ryan Marrs at rmmarrs@nmb.us or (843) 385-0195.

Enjoy a FREE September 9 Showing of “Shaun the Sheep (PG)” at McLean Park in North Myrtle Beach

The public is invited to enjoy a FREE September 9 showing of the movie, Shaun the Sheep (PG), at McLean Park in North Myrtle Beach. The movie starts 15 minutes after sunset (about 7:30 pm).

There will be a free sheep petting zoo on site from 6:00pm – 7:15 pm.

The free movie is part of the North Myrtle Beach Parks & Recreation Department’s Movies @ McLean series sponsored by McLeod Seacoast (www.mcleodhealth.org).

Patrons and movie-goers are encouraged to bring a beach chair or blanket to sit on. Concessions will be available from the North Myrtle Beach Lions Club.

About “Shaun the Sheep”: Shaun the Sheep thinks and acts like a person in a barnyard, which usually gets him into trouble. The farmer's sheepdog, Bitzer, tries to keep Shaun and his friends out of trouble. The farmer is oblivious to the humanlike features of his flock, who are like one big, happy family. When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix-up with the farmer, a caravan and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it is up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.

For day of event weather information call the “Rec Check” hotline at (843) 280-5594 ext. 3, follow on Facebook, or visit their website http://parks.nmb.us.

Fire Truck Push-In Event Set For August 31 In North Myrtle Beach

The North Myrtle Beach Public Safety Department has scheduled a fire truck Push-In event for Wednesday, August 31, immediately following City Council’s special called 2:00 p.m. meeting, to formally celebrate the arrival of its latest fire truck. The Push-In will occur at Fire Station #1, 1015 Second Avenue South. During the event, City Council members, Public Safety personnel and others will push the new fire truck into its bay, cementing its arrival in the community. The public is invited to attend.

Ladder Truck Outside Station 1 Bay

Fire truck Push-In events reportedly began in the time of horse-drawn firefighting equipment, which could not be easily be backed into a building by the horses but had to be pushed in by firefighting personnel.

The celebration of the arrival of a new piece of apparatus has been a source of pride for volunteer fire companies for more than 100 years. The volunteers of the 18th and 19th centuries spared no expense in outfitting and decorating their new "engins" (a popular term in the 19th century).

For decades, 19th-century volunteers in our largest cities retained the services of some of the most famous artists of the period including John Woodside, Thomas Sully, and Joseph Johnson, who rendered incredible pieces of art on the rigs, composed of patriotic, mythological, and historical scenes. Many of these companies held soirees and other social events to mark the occasion of the new piece of equipment.

Norman Rockwell's 1971 illustration "The New American LaFrance Is Here!" captured the moment of a new engine's arrival. Showing his hometown Victorian firehouse in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, Rockwell conveyed the excitement in the town, showing children and adults rushing to see the modern fire engine. Next to it is the town’s retired 1920s-era pumper.

About the City’s New Fire Truck

On July 15, North Myrtle Beach Fire/Rescue took delivery of a 2016 Pierce 95-foot Mid-Mount fire truck on an Arrow XT chassis. The new truck, which is now the city’s primary tower ladder, has been designated Truck 714 and is located at Fire Station #1.

The fire truck cost $1.2 million and was paid for out of the City’s capital improvements fund over two fiscal years. A fire truck of this type has an effective lifespan of about 20 years.

The new truck replaces a 1996 KME Aerial Cat 102 foot Rear-Mounted Aerial, which has been moved out to another fire station as a reserve apparatus. The KME has served the City well as its primary tower ladder for 20 years. It was replaced due to its age and condition.

With the purchase of the new Pierce, the department has its third operational aerial device within the city limits.