Registration begins June 6 for Fire District Kid’s Camp

Registration begins June 6 for Fire District Kid’s Camp

The Orland Fire Protection District will host the annual Kid’s Fire & Life Safety Camp beginning Tuesday July 12 through Friday July 15 offering programs to educate children between the ages of 8 and 12 on fire and life safety.

The camp is made possible through support from the Orland Fire Foundation and is dedicated to exposing school aged children to fire & Life safety lessons dealing with potential hazards around their homes and schools along with several life lessons that are also important.

Children who live in Orland Park can enroll for free beginning June 1, but they are required to present a report card from their local Orland school. A fee of $30 (Check only, no credit cards) is required for children from outside of Orland Park who can begin signing up June 27 for any remaining spots.

Grade school kids who participated in the 2015 Orland Fire Protection District's annual Fire & Safety Camp which this year will be held June 12, 2016.

The program accommodates up to 40 children in activities from 8:30 am until 11:30 am each day, with certificates presented on Friday.

Applications can be obtained online at www.OrlandFire.org and should be returned to the OFPD Headquarters at 9750 W. 151^st Street prior to July 1, 2016.

The camp is designed to be fun, entertaining and educational; while providing the campers with the knowledge to keep themselves out of harm’s way.  The participants have lectures and lessons each day, followed by hands on opportunities to actively participate in exercises designed to reinforce what they have been taught.

The Injury Prevention Team at Advocate Children’s Hospital and Advocate’s Injury Prevention Specialist Alix McNulty will present Bicycle Safety, Poison Prevention, Concussion and a distracted driving scenario.

Orland Fire Prevention District firefighters will present hands-on first-aid training and the children will be taught about the basics of CPR, how AED’s work and why they are important, and what to do in response to choking. Firefighters will help the kids make First Aid kits and they will be able to view firsthand emergency response equipment including the Fire District ambulances.

The American Red Cross will present “W.H.A.L.E. Tales” which addresses water safety for the children. Drowning is the leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 1-4 and most commonly occurs in swimming pools. The children will hear about the importance about being around water.

The American Red Cross will also review basic safety practices to the campers.

During the four-morning program, children will also learn how to prepare for tornadoes, floods, medical emergencies, choking, seizures and burns.  They will learn the tools to be ready for any disaster that may come their way and help families feel comfortable responding to a sudden emergency! By practicing how to prepare for emergencies and understand that by sharing what they have learned with family and friends, they can help create a prepared community.

Gordon Bowe, from Operation Lifesaver, will be back again to discuss the importance of Train Safety! It has hidden dangers that all pedestrians need to be made aware of, especially children, who don’t think about these hazards. Operation Lifesaver is working to change people's behavior around railroad tracks and crossings.

The program is coordinated by Betsy Dine, OFPD Fire and Life Safety Education Coordinator.

Please visit our website for details.  www.orlandfire.org

Sprinkler minimizes fire damage at Orland Park retirement home, saves lives

Sprinkler minimizes fire damage at Orland Park retirement home, saves lives 

A sprinkler system installed at the Lexington Health Care assisted and independent living retirement home, 14601 John Humphrey Drive, is being credited with saving lives and helping to significantly minimize damage caused by a small fire there this morning.

The fire started in the basement maintenance area of the assisted living home just after 8 am on Tuesday, April 5, 2016. Investigators identified the cause as a coffee maker that was located on a shelf above a desk.

Sprinkler minimizes fire damage at Orland Park retirement home, saves lives

The fire quickly spread to objects on and around the desk, and up the wall of the room when the water sprinkler system activated and suppressed the fire instantly.

A sprinkler system installed at the Lexington Health Care assisted and independent living retirement home, 14601 John Humphrey Drive, is being credited with saving lives and helping to significantly minimize damage caused by a small fire there this morning.

The Orland Fire Protection District was alerted and responded to a fire alarm activation due to the sprinkler system operating. The initial crews reported a water flow alarm and investigated to find smoke in the basement with water flowing from a sprinkler head. A fire extinguisher was used to completely extinguish the smoldering material.

The smoke that was confined to the basement and workshop area was removed by firefighters using power fans. Because the fire was controlled quickly no residents had to be moved or evacuated and normal operations were maintained throughout the incident.

All floors were evaluated for hazards and deemed safe. Fire damage was limited to the desk and items on the shelves above.

“Every year at our Open House, we demonstrate how important fire sprinkler systems can for businesses, properties like assisted living centers and even in private homes in saving lives, and fighting and preventing damage caused by fires,” Orland Fire Protection District Fire Chief Michael Schofield said.

“This was a perfect example of how the sprinkler system quickly prevented the fire from spreading throughout the property, and minimized the intrusion on the lives of the residents in the home. We didn’t have to evacuate the property or disrupt the healthcare services there. We made the property safe and completely extinguished what could have been a far worse fire.” Schofield also credited the fast response of the District’s fire fighting teams.

Orland Fire personnel were assisted by a fire truck and team from neighboring Tinley Park.

Schofield named full-time Orland Fire Protection District Chief

The Orland Fire Protection District Tuesday named Michael Schofield, 54, as the district’s new fulltime fire chief approving a three year contract effective March 1, directing attorney Jim Roche to negotiate and recommend Schofield’s salary.

One of the district’s top three longest serving firefighters, Schofield became “interim Fire Chief” after Fire Chief Ken Brucki requested a leave-of-absence in August for “personal reasons” and subsequent request for retirement in January.

A 44 year resident of Orland Park, Schofield served as a Battalion Chief and managed the Orland Fire Protection District’s Operational Services before being named interim chief. 

Services included Suppression, Emergency Medical Services, Specialty Teams, as well as Training with each area managed by a lieutenant who reported to Schofield. Schofield joined the OFPD in 1977 as a cadet, eight years after the district was created. 

In 1979, Schofield became “paid on call,” which essentially was considered a part-time position. 

“Serving the residents of the Orland Fire Protection District has been my life and I am humbled and honored to be able to continue that service now as the District Fire Chief,” Schofield said. 

 “I want to continue the direction the Fire District has been going in. There are a lot of people in the Fire District, and a lot of great volunteers. Providing and maintaining the highest level of professional emergency and safety services is my goal.” 

 Schofield said he doesn’t anticipate making major changes during his first year, but said he hopes to see the district maintain and enhance training for paramedics and emergency responders. “There are no pressing issues right now, but I will take a close look at everything,” Schofield said. 

Schofield was hired full-time by the OFPD in 1986. He was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in 1989 and became a Battalion Chief in 2012. Fire District Board Chairman Chris Evoy praised Schofield saying the board was moved by both his three-decade career in fire service and that he is a longtime resident in the district. 

“We’re confident Fire Chief Schofield will do an exemplary job leading the district and supervising emergency fire response to uphold the safety of the district’s residents,” Evoy said. “He knows this district and what needs to be done.” 

Coincidentally, Schofield will celebrate his 30th year with the OFPD on his March 1 start date as full-time fire chief. During his part-time tenure with the OFPD, Schofield worked from 1983 until 1986 as a paramedic with the City of Chicago Fire Department. 

In 1985, Schofield received the paramedic award of valor from Chicago for the rescue of an employee involved in an industrial accident at the Nabisco plant in Chicago. Schofield also worked in Homer Township as a part-time firefighter from 1995 to 2002, and then in the part-time position as Homer Township Fire Chief from 2002 to 2012. 

Schofield is the co-founder of the Will County Fire Chiefs Association, and Past President of Mabas 19 mutual aid group. Schofield is married to Kathy and they have six kids, Nicole, Stephanie, Michael III, Andrew, Kathleen and Jacqueline. 

Michael Schofield III is an offensive lineman with the Denver Broncos and played in the 2016 50th Super Bowl that the Broncos won.