Orland Fire Protection District Blog: Orland Fire Protection District

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Thursday, August 11, 2016

Orland Fire District program trains public in emergency procedures

The Orland Fire Protection District Wednesday (August 10, 2016) held its first training class offering emergency response training to members of the public.

Fire Chief Michael Schofield said the CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) program gives members of the public hands-on experience in dealing with emergencies they might face every day.

The CERT training class was led by Lt. William Leddin and the final session was held Wednesday at the district’s training center at 10728 W. 163^rd Place. It will be followed by another class that will opened to public enrollment this Fall.

: Members of the First CERT Class hosted by the Orland Fire Protection District August 10, 2016

“We have seen many instances where the fast action of people who have emergency response training can make a difference in saving lives, like the most recent incident in which a boy almost drowned but was saved by a party-goer who was at the pool party who had emergency training,” Chief Schofield said.

“This first CERT class was a pilot program and I think it went very well."

Schofield was referring to the emergency call received on July 16 in Orland Park when a young boy was rescued from drowning by an off-duty Chicago Police officer, Cindy Guerra. Guerra was presented with the District’s William Bonnar Life Saving Award at a ceremony July 26 for saving the boy’s life.

Leddin said that the training provided during the CERT pilot program this week included CPR, extinguishing small fires and the proper and effective use of fire extinguishers, helping individuals who may have a wide range of injuries including heart attacks and injuries, and effective responses to severe weather crisis including tornadoes.

: Lt. William Leddin (2nd from right) gives instructions to the first CERT Class on emergency responses August 10, 2016

“We hope that in the next emergency 9-1-1 call, and we dispatch our emergency team to respond, they will find that someone will be on scene with the victim offering emergency assistance,” Leddin said.

“Those first few seconds of an emergency can made a significant difference in saving someone’s life. The sooner emergency response is started, the better the chances someone in an emergency situation will survive.”

The 10-week pilot program consisted mostly of members from the District’s Senior Advisory Council (SAC) along with a few senior volunteers. All volunteers who completed the course and passed the final exam will receive their certificates of completion at the next OFPD Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday, August 23 at 5:00 p.m.

The district is planning to offer a new class for all district residents 18 and older sometime this fall. For more information on the CERT Program, visit the Orland Fire Protection District website at www.OrlandFire.org.

: Members of the public learned how to respond to emergency situations at a CERT Class offered to the public by the Orland Fire Protection District

: Understanding the proper use of a fire extinguisher is critical in responding to a small house fire.

Monday, May 23, 2016

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

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Homeowner suffers 2nd degree burns in Orland Park town home fire

Homeowner suffers 2nd degree burns in Orland Park town home fire

One civilian was hospitalized following injuries during a fire at a Town Home in Orland Park on Saturday morning, officials of the Orland Fire Protection District said.

The fire was reported at an 8-unit, 2-story Town Home at 6:30 AM at 15829 Orland Brook Drive. The unnamed resident was taken to Silver Cross Hospital in New Lenox for treatment of 2nd Degree Burns, paramedics and emergency officials reported. The individual's status is not available but he was expected to be moved by hospital personnel to the Loyola Burn Unit for additional treatment.

One Orland Fire fighter was treated for exhaustion and smoke inhalation at the scene of the fire, but was later released and is back on the job, Interim Orland Fire Protection District Fire Chief Michael Schofield said Saturday.

Witnesses reported the fire at 6:30 AM on Saturday after seeing smoke billowing from the roof of the town home complex. First arriving companies found heavy fire from several 2^nd floor units of the 2-story 8-unit Town Home building. A Box alarm was called for additional manpower and equipment. Multiple lines were deployed to control the fire and initial search of the all units were completed. The fire made its way from the upstairs unit to the building attic area.

The cause of the fire is currently under investigation. The building suffered extensive damage. No other injuries were reported.

(Photos attached from the structure fire, courtesy of the Orland Fire Protection District.)

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

No injuries at Orland Home seriously damaged by fire

Lightning suspected, officials said. The family was on vacation

The Orland Fire Protection District responded to a fire reported in a home located on the 108th block of West Scarlet Drive in Orland Park early Wednesday morning.

The fire was reported at about 2:46 am on Wednesday July 29, 2015 and initial arriving fire companies found heavy fire had spread through the attic and roof areas of the 5,000 square foot residential home. Firefighters reported that heat radiating from the blaze was extensive.

OFPD Chief Ken Brucki said that firefighters immediately went into a defensive position to get the fire under control preventing any injuries.

“This fire had a tremendous amount of heat and it concerned us,” Brucki said. “We were concerned about structures around the property and took appropriate precautions to keep nearby properties safe.”

Brucki said the cause of the fire is under investigation.

“Crews were able to conduct a rapid primary search to confirm there were no occupants in the property at the time, and we were able to verify that the family was vacationing,” Brucki said.

The alarm was elevated to a full still to bring in additional companies. A total of two aerial master streams and five large diameter hand-lines were required to extinguish the fire.

The structure suffered major fire damage to the entire roof and extensive damage to the interior of the structure from fire, smoke, and water.

It took approximately an hour to bring the fire under control.

Brucki said one possible cause of the fire may be lightning noting “there was a tremendous amount of lightning in the area at approximately the same time of the fire.”

Brucki also said that the fire department was able to deploy a drone to assist in quickly identifying the fire location on the home.

“It was a very large home and the drone helped give us an immediate, aerial view of the property and the fire,” Brucki said. “The aerial view assisted the Battalion Chief to direct suppression efforts to bring the fire under control.”