Orland Fire Senior’s group explores tips for staying healthy
Orland Fire Senior’s group explores tips for staying healthy
Chief Brucki meets with Orland Seniors June 2014
More than 80 seniors attended a luncheon organized by the Orland Fire Protection District’s Senior Advisory Council (SAC) to discuss tips on staying healthy.
Fire Prevention Bureau Supervisor Mike Ercoli and Public Education Director Betsy Dine led a discussion on the importance of staying active, understanding high performance CPR techniques, and learning the step-by-step process of what to do when residents call 9-1-1 to report an emergency.
Orland Fire Protection District Chief Ken Brucki stressed the importance of bringing seniors together on a regular basis to explore Fire District services and also strategies to deal with emergency situations.
“We try to educate you at every age about public safety. Public Safety is everyone’s responsibility,” stated Brucki. Chief Brucki also spoke about the partnership the district has with residents and the professionalism of his staff.
Noe Santiago, a physical therapist with Pinnacle LLC, spoke about a new program entitled, “A Matter of Balance.” The program will be offered as early as this fall at the fire district and includes an 8-week course on learning to stay active and reduce the fear of falling for older adults.
“It’s all about quality of life,” explained Santiago. “The trick is to stay active and learn exercises to keep you moving and flexible.” The program is currently offered by the New Lenox Fire Protection District and is well-received in other neighboring communities.
Battalion Chief Ray Kay discussed the importance of CPR and the use of an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) which is often available at public locations to assist victims of sudden cardiac arrest improve their chances of survival.
Orland Seniors June 2014
The AED program is called “Community CARE” and has helped OFPD raise the survival rate of patients in emergency calls in the Orland Fire Protection District to 50%, compared to the lower national average of only 5-10%.
“Our goal is to save lives,” Kay said. Kay introduced firefighter paramedics from Ambulance 5 and Engine 3 to perform a live demonstration of the AED using a mannequin.
The district’s response team to a cardiac arrest begins with 5 paramedics and grows to up to 9 staff to ensure the patient has the best care possible to prevent loss of life, Kay told the senior group.
The afternoon event concluded with a step-by-step overview of what happens when residents call 9-1-1. Communications Supervisor and Dispatch Director William Neumann described how calls begin at the Orland Police Department and are then quickly routed to the Orland Fire Protection Dispatch Department depending on the type of emergency.
“Our staff is trained to ask what is the location, the type of emergency that’s occurring and then what is wrong,” described Neumann. “These are the most important questions in order to get a vehicle moving and on route within a 60 second time frame. Once dispatch has occurred, 9-1-1 operators are trained to walk residents through the emergency in a step by step sequence.”
OFPD Board President Jim Hickey applauded the district staff for hosting these kinds of educational events.
“Residents want to learn more about what the fire district does and connecting staff with people of all ages, including seniors, helps to keep residents informed. We need to continue to build a working relationship between the district and taxpayers.”
The Senior Advisory Council is the only official senior group affiliated with the Orland Fire Protection District. OFPD officials encouraged Seniors living in the district to join the Senior Advisory Council and participate in the group’s many public events.
For more information, Seniors can call the district at 708-349-0074.
Information is also available on the Internet at www.OrlandFire.org.
# # #
Related articles
Follow
Ray Hanania
In 1976, he was hired by the Chicago community newspaper The Southtown Economist (Daily Southtown) and in 1985 was hired by the Chicago Sun-Times and covered Chicago City Hall for both. In 1993, he launched the “The Villager” Newspapers which covered 12 Southwest Chicagoland suburban regions. He hosted a live weekend Radio Show on WLS AM radio from 1980 through 1991, and also on WBBM FM, WLUP FM and shows on WSBC AM in Chicago and WNZK AM in Detroit.
Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media;In 2009, he received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. Hanania has also received two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild, and in 1990 was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.
Hanania’s writings have been published in newspapers around the world. He currently is syndicated through Creators Syndicate and his column is feature every Sunday in the Saudi Gazette in Saudi Arabia. He has written for the Jerusalem Post, YNetNews.com, Newsday in New York, the Orlando Sentinel, the Houston Chronicle, The Daily Star, the News of the World, the Daily Yomimuri in Tokyo, Chicago Magazine, the Arlington Heights Daily Herald, and Aramco Magazine. His Chicagoland political columns are published in the Southwest News-Herald and Des Plaines Valley News on several Chicagoland blogs including the OrlandParker.com and SuburbanChicagoland.com.
Hanania is the President/CEO of Urban Strategies Group media and public affairs consulting which has clients in Illinois, Florida, Michigan and Washington D.C.
His personal website is www.TheMediaOasis.com. Email him at: [email protected].
Latest posts by Ray Hanania (see all)
- Remembering that Southwest Gal, Judy Baar Topinka - December 19, 2014
- Lyons and McCook Businesses Partner to Give Back and Strengthen Communities - December 8, 2014
- Interview with former Oak Lawn Mayor Dave Heilmann - December 5, 2014
Blog Posts
- Remembering that Southwest Gal, Judy Baar Topinka December 19, 2014 Ray Hanania
- Needy and disabled children celebrate Christmas in Cicero December 13, 2014 admin
- Irks, quirks and Oughta be laws December 13, 2014 admin
- Interview with former Oak Lawn Mayor Dave Heilmann December 5, 2014 Ray Hanania
- Corage: Breathing Space December 5, 2014 Justin Shimko
- From the Right: Declaring for the next election December 3, 2014 Justin Shimko