OFPD recruits given rigorous training in emergency fire simulations

OFPD recruits given rigorous training in emergency fire simulations

Ten fire recruits hired to fill newly created staff vacancies are working through an intensive training course learning the latest in fire fighting and emergency services strategies in a training academy program sponsored by the Orland Fire Protection District.

The new firefighters will not only fill vacancies but also eliminate overtime burdens on the Orland Fire Protection District’s firefighters who often have to fill positions with extra work duties.

OFPD Fire Chief Ken Brucki joined with his key training team leadership at a public demonstration of the rigorous training new recruits receive. Leading the training for the OFPD are Lt. David Piper, the Training & Safety Officer, and Mike Seifert and Carl Jones, both firefighters and graduates of the district’s training academy program.

“We have been providing this intense training now for several years,” Brucki said as the training session began Friday at the Fire District’s Training Center at 10728 West 163rd Place in Orland Park.

“We use what we have learned and work with the new recruits to ensure they have the same level of competency in fighting fires and providing emergency services.”

Brucki said the district’s 10 new firefighter trainees are evaluated in a variety of fire and emergency simulations including fighting fires, rescue and equipment management. Every OFPD recruit must be professionally trained both as a firefighter and as a paramedic.

“The recruits train 8 hours every day. Their day begins with a regimented exercise program to help eliminate injuries caused by muscle strains & sprains, which is one of the most frequent injuries firefighters experience,” Piper said as the recruits warmed up Friday morning at the Pro Sports Performance gym, 10649 163rd Place in Orland Park, located one block east of the OFPD Training Center.

Piper said the one-hour initial exercise program at Pro Sports Performance helps the recruits prepare for the physical stress involved in carrying and moving large equipment at emergency scenarios

“After that, we put them through a series of fire scenarios to build up their experience and knowledge on how to fight fires and provide emergency services during emergency situations.”

The 10 recruits were hired on May 9 and officially entered the training academy on May 12. Their probation period includes nine weeks of hands-on training followed by assignment to a fire station, ending with graduation one year later on May 9, 2015.

Piper, Seifert and Jones led the trainees through a specific exercise in which a training building was set on fire on the first floor. Teams of trainees, led by instructors, covered each of the key areas, connecting the hoses to the fire hydrant, scoping out the scene to identify any civilians in the building, and coordinating the response to the fire and smoke. One team approached to extinguish the fire, a second team climbed to the building’s roof to perform ventilation, while another scaled the building via ground ladders from the front to “rescue” several “victims.”

“I think they did very well. I think they are going to make great additions to the OFPD district,” Piper said after the exercise. “The goal is to make sure they are well trained professionals, fire fighters and paramedics, and are prepared to respond and service the community and the OFPD. Our number one goal is service to the community.”

OFPD Board of Trustees President Jim Hickey praised the district’s training program noting that not only does it save the district funds, but also has been recognized as one of the country’s best training programs.

“We have the finest firefighters in the country and much of that comes from the training that they receive from experienced and qualified professionals,” Hickey said.

“Residents of our district feel very secure and confident that the Fire District can respond to any emergency situation and circumstance quickly and successfully. That’s a confidence that reflects that tremendous effort that our firefighters make to respond to the community’s emergency and paramedic needs."

Afterwards, trainees Jason Postma and Martin Majda spoke with reporters who were allowed to observe and record the training session.

“We’re learning from a great group, an experienced group. Their knowledge and experience is vast. The dedication to the community plays into this. We are here to serve the residents,” trainee Majda said.

“The Orland Fire Protection District is the best fire department in the country and everyone in fire service wants to work here. This is the top of the line for this profession.”

Postma added, “The training we received has a huge focus on the fundamentals of firefighting and on service to the community. The Orland Fire Protection District has the highest level of dedication to professionalism and the deepest unwavering commitment to the community it serves.”

The 10 trainees include: Brian Paliga, James Logan, Jason Postma, Justin Dublin, Kory Tuburan, Mark Hogan, Martin Majda, Matt Giermala, Matthew Hoover, and Steven Prohaska.

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Orland Fire Foundation raises more than $13,000 at fundraiser

Orland Fire Foundation raises more than $13,000 at fundraiser

The rejuvenated Orland Fire Protection District Foundation raised more than $13,000 towards its charitable programs during its fundraiser last week at 94 West Steak & Seafood Restaurant.

The event was held on Wednesday May 15 and attracted more than 100 participants. This year, the Foundation published an Ad Book which helped raise additional monies for its charitable projects.

Those projects include the Kids Fire and Life Safety Camp, The Community Care and Knox Box Program, and scholarships for high school graduates seeking careers in fire service.

“We¹re very pleased at the turnout and the support we have received for the Foundation from residents of the Orland Fire Protection District,” said Patricia Brucki, chairperson of the Foundation Fundraiser and member of the Foundation Board.

“As everyone knows, the money we raise goes to support many important public service projects that help to make our community safer and to raise public awareness for fire safety.”

Brucki, who is married to OFPD Chief Ken Brucki, said that the event raised enough money for the Foundation to launch its scholarship program for next year.

“One of our goals was to raise enough money so we could provide scholarships to encourage high school graduates to seek careers in fire service and I think we have achieved that goal,” Brucki said.

Many elected officials attended the event including Orland Hils Mayor Kyle Hastings, Cook County Commissioner Elizabeth “Liz” Doody Gorman and members of the Fire District Board including Fire District President Jim Hickey, Trustee Jayne Schirmacher and Fire District Personnel Commissioner Craig Schmidt.

“I think the taxpayers and homeowners are very proud of what the Orland Fire Protection District has done over the past few years to hold the line on costs while maintaining the best fire district in the country,” Gorman said.

Schirmacher welcomed the attendees on behalf of Hickey and the Board of Trustees, and thanked the Foundation volunteer board members and committee for their efforts in organizing the event.

Brucki also expressed gratitude to the volunteers including members of the Senior Advisory Committee, and also Fire District volunteers Gerry Strunka, Jerry Ruggio, Joan Pickens, Bob Palermo, Jannette Walsh, and RJ Stachnich.

Brucki said that the event also collected more than 50 bags of food that were to be delivered to the Orland Park Pantry.

More than 70 individuals, officials and organizations contributed to the foundation event. Also attending were the District¹s senior administrators and Battalion Chiefs, and representatives of local businesses who have participated in the district¹s CPR and AED training programs.

The foundation encourages the community to take advantage of free CPR classes and the upcoming Kids fire and life Safety camp this July.

A copy of the Foundation program booklet will be made available online for the public to view.

For more information, visit www.OrlandFire.org.

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Damage report on storm in Orland Fire District -- roof of fire station ripped off by high winds

Orland Fire District Storm activity – May 20, 2014

Damage report on storm in Orland Fire District -- roof of fire station ripped off by high winds

A strong spring storm moved through the area of the Orland Fire district in the early evening hours of May 20, 2014.  Typically during severe weather, the Orland Fire District responds to a surge of weather related emergencies in addition to the normal calls for service.  Fire district units responded to reported structure fires, electric wires arcing and burning, energized wires which fell across roadways and damaged chimneys on homes from lightning strikes.  In addition to the incidents related to severe weather, the district responded to several car accidents, a cardiac arrest and assisted Oak Forest with a confirmed apartment fire.

This storm activity was fairly typical related to types of incidents except for one unusual event.  

While firefighters were helping residents with their emergencies, the roof partially blew off one of the fire stations.  Firefighters returned to Fire Station #5, at 8851 W. 143rd Street, between alarms to find it raining inside of the fire house. The flat roof membrane of the fire station was pulled back by strong winds exposing at least 50% of the area below where the fire trucks are parked.  

Fortunately, electronic and digital communication equipment in the building are housed in separate areas which was not damaged by the roof leaking. Also, the living quarters of the firefighters was not damaged.

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Orland Fire District hosts training for the International Association of Arson Investigators

Orland Fire District hosts training for the International Association of Arson Investigators

The Orland Fire Protection District (OFPD), working in conjunction with the Illinois Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI), coordinated a two-day training seminar last week on the latest techniques to investigate vehicle fires.  

The Fire District hosted 140 professionals from across the country and Canada.  The students consisted of municipal and private investigators, Insurance Claims representatives, and mechanical and Electrical Engineers from General Motors, Navistar, and Chrysler Automotive.  In hosting the course, Orland Fire Protection District was able to train 10 Fire and Arson Investigators free of charge.

These types of cooperative efforts bring professionals from around the country to the Orland Fire Protection District to help educate and train district area investigators, Orland Fire Protection District Fire Chief Ken Brucki said.

The training is led by professional instructors Detective Barry Grimm and by Capt. Chris Elrod, both from the Wilmington, North Carolina Fire Department.

Arson investigators with the Orland Fire Protection District and the IL-Chapter of the IAAI worked with the instructors to develop the 30 different vehicle fire scenarios where students worked to identify the origin and the cause of each vehicle fires during this advanced training class.

The Fire District took full advantage of having so many vehicles at the Orland Fire Protection District training site.

“Each vehicle was prepared by the instruction staff to duplicate various causes and different origins located in and around the vehicle. The vehicles were set on fire using different methods to simulate mechanical malfunctions as well as incendiary causes of fires.  We then used the opportunity to train our suppression companies on the various techniques used to effectively fight a vehicle fire,” Brucki said.

“During this step, we took the time to educate and train claim representatives from State Farm Insurance, GEICO, and American Family Insurance.  It was a perfect opportunity to have members from the insurance company witness firsthand the procedure for investigating a vehicle fire and help educate them to the process when completing a claim.”

The Orland Fire District working in conjunction with the Illinois Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators secured 30 salvaged vehicles from West and Sons Towing in Addison, IL.

The Fire District will continue to use these vehicles for the next month to complete several auto extrication drills during regular training sessions.

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Related articles

• Orland Firefighters extinguish fire at local home
• OFPD provides CPR Training to Bridge Teen Center staff
• One Hurt When SUV Slams Into Post Office

OFPD provides CPR Training to Bridge Teen Center staff

OFPD provides CPR Training to Bridge Teen Center staff

Officials of the Orland Fire Protection District provided a hands-on training session for the administrators and the staff of the Bridge Teen Center Monday in using the AED, Automated External Defibrillator which can increase the chances of survival for victims of heart related emergencies.

The Foundation donated the AED to the Bridge Teen Center at 15555 S. 71^st Court, a place where teens and young people gather to enjoy a wide range of after-school and summer programs.

CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) training was provided by two retired members of the Orland Fire Protection District, Lt. Chris Smith and Engineer Robert Palermo, who offered hands on instructions on the proper way to administer CPR and proper use of an AED.

“The AED is very easy to use,” Smith explained noting that once you know how to apply the device, the device offers instructions on what steps need to be taken in emergency situations.

“Statistics have shown that if you can shock an adult patient in the first minute of cardiac arrest, when there is no breathing and no heart beat, there is over a 90 percent chance of saving them. After 5 minutes it drops 50 percent. And it drops 5 to 7 percent for every minute after that. AEDs can save lives.”

Smith said that giving a patient those extra few minutes while an ambulance is arriving to respond to the emergency can make the difference between life and death. AEDs are portable electronic devices that diagnose life threatening cardiac arrhythmia and ventricular tachycardia in patients. Once diagnosed, the device assists in treating the victim through electrical impulses that stimulate the heart, allowing the heart to reestablish its own rhythm.

The Orland Fire Protection District is expanding its “Community CARE” program to provide CPR and emergency training to the staff of businesses and organizations throughout the district.

Community CARE encourages businesses to purchase an AED, or Automatic External Defibrillator, which fire officials said can increases the likelihood of survival for victims experiencing a heart attack or other heart related emergencies.

The Orland Fire Protection District Community CARE Program is dedicated to the proposition that, when it comes down to those precious minutes following sudden cardiac arrest, planning saves lives.

The program’s primary mission is two-fold: to increase the number of people trained in CPR and the use of an AED and to increase the availability of public access to Defibrillators (PADs). Furthermore, the program aims to create a monitoring / maintenance program ensuring CPR skills remain current and defibrillator batteries and pads remain operational.

Community CARE is modeled from a successful Seattle Washington program, boasting a near 50% survival rate in reducing fatalities from cardiac arrest for over three decades.

The cost of AED devices range between $800 to $3,000, officials said. Currently, AEDs are located at many schools and businesses in Orland Park. Officials said every school has an AED with trained staff. Last month, OFPD officials offered training to staff and employees at Mercedes Benz of Orland Park, which has two AED devices.

Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is an emergency procedure that preserves blood circulation and brain function of a person in cardiac arrest through manual chest compressions. CPR creates artificial blood circulation through the heart until spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest can be restored.

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Orland Fire District honors firefighters for emergency response calls

Orland Fire District honors firefighters for emergency response calls

On January 2, 2014 paramedics responded to an individual with difficulty breathing at an extended care facility. On arrival, they determined the patient,  a 90 year old woman to be in cardiac arrest. They initiated high performance CPR and the patient was defibrillated and given medications. The patient was taken to the hospital with her blood pressure and pulse stabalized.

Recognized were fire fighters: Robert Proctor, Brian Thompson, Eng. David Nagel, lt Eric Johnson, Eng Robert Walsh, lt Peter Vassios, Daniel Ritchie and Chad Erickson.

Chief Brucki, Firefighter/Paramedic Chad Erickson, Engineer Dave Nagle, Engineer Rob Walsh, Firefighter/Paramedic Brian Thompson, Lieutenant Erick Johnson, Lieutenant Mark Duke. 

On Jan. 31, 2014, paramedics responded to a cardiac arrest call at an extended care facility. They initiated high performance CPR on the patient, an 81 year old male and they identified an obstructed airway. The obstruction was removed and after 20 minutes of resuscitation, the patient regained a pulse and blood pressure. Induced hypothermia was initiated according to standing medical orders and the patient was taken to the hospital where the patient resumed treatment and care.

On March 2, 2014, paramedics responded at a residence for an unresponsive 58 year old male. The patient was determined to be in cardiac arrest and high performance CPR was initiated. The patient was defibrillated several times after which he regained a strong pulse, blood pressure and spontaneous respirations. The patient was taken to the local hospital where he continued his treatment.

Recognized for both the Jan. 31 incident and the March 2 incident were: firefighters Lt. Robert Stachnik, Eng Steven Rivero, Lt. Erick Johnson, Eng. Robert Winkelman and David Popp.

Chief Brucki, Firefighter/Paramedic Dave Popp, Engineer Bob Winkelman, Lieutenant Erick Johnson, Engineer Steve Rivero, Lieutenant R.J. Stachnik, Lieutenant Mark Duke.

Fire Chief Ken Brucki said that a fourth fifer on March 12 at a home in Orland Park at 145th Street was particularly challenging because the home had a 300 foot “set-back” from the street.

“It was a very cold day and we had to stretch the hoses further. But we were fortunate that a neighbor had cleared the very high piles of snow from the fire hydrants nearby,” Brucki recalled.

“Our battalion chiefs and firefighters are always ready. We have four BC’s at the scene to lend a hand. They had heard the calls and came out to assist. It helped. I also personally went to the home of the neighbor to shake his hand and tell him how much his efforts to keep the fire hydrant cleared helped us to fight the fire at the home. The snow around it was several feet higher than the top of the hydrant so having it cleared meant the response was faster and effective.”

Brucki also said that the Fire Department would hire 10 more firefighters who are also paramedics immediately to replace 10 veteran firemen who are retired or leaving because of “normal attrition.” The proposal to hire the 10 firefighters to fill the vacancies was approved by the full board.

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Home fire on West 145th Street in Orland Park Wednesday

Home fire on West 145th Street in Orland Park Wednesday 

At about 1:50 pm on Wednesday afternoon, 3/12/2014, the Orland Fire District responded to investigate smoke coming from a home in the 9800 block of 145^th St.

The first arriving units reported heavy smoke showing and fire visible inside the front door of the one story home set back off the road. Initial efforts were made to attack the fire from inside the home. The fire in the living area had extended into the attic.

After finding areas the fire had burned through the floor, firefighting efforts were made from the outside until the fire could be controlled and visibility improved to evaluate the condition of the floor for firefighter safety. The fire was controlled in about an hour. Firefighters from neighboring Palos, Mokena, Homer, Northwest Homer, Crestwood, Tinley Park, Posen, and Palos Heights were on the scene to assist.

Other area departments staffed Orland stations during the incident. The two residents at home at the time of the fire escaped without injury. The Red Cross was called and on scene to assist the 7 displaced residents. Orland investigators determined the accidental fire originated in a back bedroom and the cause to be electrical.  

Fire Chief Ken Brucki said, "The Orland Fire District extends its appreciation to a neighbor who had taken the time to dig out the fire hydrant from the heavy wet snow at the end of his driveway. Those efforts saved time for firefighters so they didn’t have to search for it and dig it out when found. Clear access also provides for supply hoses to be connected more efficiently guaranteeing water in the hoses for the safety of firefighters inside."

Photo courtesy of the Orland Fire Protection District