Gold Award contender Olivia LoBue donates sensory kits to seven local fire departments

Local Girl Scout Olivia LoBue made a unique contribution to several Suffolk County fire departments in her efforts to achieve her Gold Award – the highest award in Girl Scouting achieved when a Scout develops and carries out a lasting solution to an issue in their neighborhood and beyond.

Olivia, a 16-year-old who attends John Glenn High School in Elwood, contacted the Eaton’s Neck Fire Department this month to supply them with two sensory kits for use on their ambulances. She also donated kits to the East Northport, Greenlawn, Cold Spring Harbor, Halesite, Melville and Deer Park fire departments.

A sensory kit is used for children and sometimes adults who are diagnosed with issues like autism and ADHD, according to Eaton’s Neck Fire Department Captain Andy Reid, who met with Olivia to receive the kits. Each kit contains noise-reducing headphones, fidget toys, sunglasses (to dim bright light) and communication boards, all of which help calm a person in a stressful emergency situation.