Eagle Newsletter Spring 2023

Orland Fire Protection District Spring 2023

Welcome to the OFPD’s Three New Trustees

On Tuesday, April 4, 2023, Orland Fire District voters were asked to select just two of eight candidates to assume seats on the Orland Fire Protection District Board of Trustees. Newcomers Tina Zekich and Angela Greenfield were the winners.

Trustee James Hickey resigned his post after approximately 14 years on the Board of Trustees on April 25, 2023. Fire Commissioner Beth Damas Kaspar was appointed by the Board to fill that empty position at a Special Meeting on April 28, 2023.

They joined Trustees John Brudnak and Jayne Schirmacher at their first official meeting on Tuesday, May 23, 2023.

Dr. Beth Damas Kaspar is an Endodontist a dental specialist skilled in diagnosing and treating tooth pain and performing root canals; Tina Zekich is a local attorney specializing in residential and commercial real estate; and Angela Greenfield is a southwest suburban area real estate broker. Welcome Trustees!

 The Kids Camp for 8-12 year olds will be held July 10th-12th

 The Junior Cadet Camp for 13-16 year olds will be held July 13th

REGISTRATION INFORMATION:

*There is limited space available.

Registration will be held in-person only on Monday, June 5th and Tuesday, June 6th from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm:

Orland Fire Administration Building

9790 W. 151st Street, Orland Park

The cost of the camp is free for In-District Residents (proof of residency required).

Non-residents can sign up for a fee if camps are not already full after the June 6th registration day. Information will be posted on our website/social media on June 7th if there is availability, with further details.

Trustees Beth Damas Kaspar, Angela Greenfield and Tina Zekich

Orland Fire Protection District Administration

TRUSTEES

JohnBrudnak,President

BethDamasKaspar,Secretary

JayneSchirmacher,Treasurer

TinaZekich

AngelaGreenfield

FIRE COMMISSIONERS

MatthewRafferty

BrianO’Neill

CHIEF/ADMINISTRATOR

MichaelSchofield

DEPUTY CHIEF

NicholasCinquepalmi

ADMINISTRATIVE CHIEF

JohnPurtill

OPERATIONS CHIEF

Robert Stachnik

BATTALION CHIEFS

WilliamLeddin

ErickJohnson

JamesHynes

MISSION STATEMENT

The

Dear Friends of OFPD:

Spring has been a time of change here at the Orland Fire District. President Chris Evoy retired after 12 years of service and, never taking a penny of his salary, he led the organization to be recognized as a top Fire District in the region. Trustee Craig Schmidt left after 6 years of service as a Trustee and served on the Fire Commission Board prior to that, and Jim Hickey resigned after more than 14 years of service to the District.

We welcome all our new Trustees: Trustee Beth Damas Kaspar, Trustee Angela Greenfield and Trustee Tina Zekich, to our fire district and look forward to great opportunities.

We saw the retirement of Lieutenant Mark Duke who was our EMS Director. Mark took our paramedic program to the next level with one of the highest cardiac save rates in the state. Mark spearheaded the cutting-edge training, equipment and procedures, making Orland Fire EMS second to none. We will truly miss Mark’s leadership, but Mark trained his replacement, Lieutenant Josh Girdick, very well so that when he left we would not miss a beat.

We also saw the retirement of William “Bill” Neumann, our IT/ Communications Director, with over 20 years of service to Orland. Bill took our Dispatch Center to a Regional Center where we now dispatch for 10 fire departments. Engineers Tom Eisel and Dan Koenig and Firefighter/Paramedic James Pape all retired with each close to 30 years in the fire service. They dedicated themselves to building the Orland Fire District into what it is today.

The Fire District continues to change with the retirements of many members, which brings in replacement recruits eager to pick up where our retirees left off. We have 11 recruits in our current Academy, with an early July date to go to shift and meet the challenges ahead of them.

Please enjoy our spring Eagle Newsletter and all the good things we do and have planned in the next couple of months. Stay Safe!

Fire Chief Michael Schofield

OrlandFireProtection District’sstaffisdedicatedto preservinglifeandproperty whilevaluingfullaccountability toeachotherandthepeoplewe serve.

Thank You For Your Years of Service Board President Christopher Evoy and Board Secretary Craig Schmidt

The April 25, 2023 Board Meeting was Secretary Craig Schmidt’s and Board President Christopher Evoy’s last meeting. Acting President John Brudnak read the Resolutions honoring both gentlemen and thanking them for all their contributions. Secretary Schmidt was present via Zoom video conference.

President Evoy was presented with a commemorative Chiefs’

helmet in appreciation for all his hard work. Trustee Evoy served for 12 years 10 of them as President. In all 12 years he served, he never accepted any Trustee compensation. He always looked out for the best interest of the Orland Residents and we appreciate all he did to make the OFPD what it is today.

Secretary Schmidt served a 6-year term and before that, was a Fire Commissioner for the Orland Fire District. We thank him for his many dedicated years of service.

Remembering OFPD Attorney the Late James J. Roche and His Many Contributions to the Orland Fire Protection District

The Board of Trustees paid tribute to Attorney James Roche, who was the OFPD’s Attorney when he passed in October, 2022.

The Roche family was presented with a plaque to hang in his honor that had included Resolution 2022-05 approved by the Board of Trustees at the October 25, 2022 meeting.

While serving as the Orland Fire District Attorney for 12 years, he made significant contributions for the betterment of the Orland Fire District that Chief Schofield outlined in greater detail.

Pictured L to R: Acting President Trustee John Brudnak, Deputy Chief Nick Cinquepalmi, Fire Chief Mike Schofield, Patrick Roche, Ellen Roche, Megan Roche and outgoing President Christopher Evoy

Cardiac Arrest Survivor Distributes Lifesaving Award to Crew

Cardiac Arrest survivor Kenneth Wilkas was in attendance at our February 28, 2023 Board of Trustees Meeting for the presentation of the William Bonnar, Sr. Lifesaving Award to Officer Julio Oliva of the Orland Park Police Department; and Unit Commendation Awards to: Firefighters Christian Andrews and Jeff Anderson (Ambulance 2); Lieutenant Wally Rafacz, Engineer Jim Strzechowski and Firefighter Bryan Kluever (Engine 2); Lieutenant Jeff Ruchniewicz, Engineer Mark Reichert, and Firefighter Jacob McCleary (Truck 1).

On November 26, 2022 at 23:31 hours, OFPD received a call of a full-arrest/person down in the 15200 block of Royal Fox Hunt Road. Officer Julio Oliva arrived on scene and provided CPR until the arrival of EMS. CPR and advanced life support care was provided and the patient had a return pulse and was breathing. The patient was packaged, moved to the ambulance, and was transported to Northwestern Medicine Palos Hospital. All involved moved quickly and effectively to help successfully resuscitate the patient.

Chief Schofield spoke to the wonderful relationship between the Orland Park Police Department and OFPD working together. Many times the police are the first on the scene and are able to perform life-saving actions using an AED. The Chief also mentioned OFPD's very high cardiac save rate and that is is because of the training received and numbers of paramedics on a call that helps the patient survive.

Mr. Wilkas spoke of his gratitude to all the men on the call and he assisted our EMS Coordinator Lieutenant Josh Girdick in distributing the awards.

EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Mary has been with the Orland Fire District for seventeen (17) years. Prior to joining the Fire District, Mary spent twenty-two (22) years at a large Loop law firm. Mary was hired in 1982 as an Administrative Assistant and was eventually promoted to the position of Office Administrator. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from Saint Xavier College, now known as Saint Xavier University.

Mary has been married thirty-five (35) years to her husband, Tom and has two (2) children, Kelly and Tom and three (3) grandchildren, Sydney Emma and TJ. She and her husband adopted a Beagle puppy, Blaze, in early 2023. Blaze is now six (6) months old.

Q & A

How has your position evolved and changed since starting at OFPD?

When I started here at the Orland Fire Protection District in June, 2006, I was hired as an Accounting Assistant to perform Payroll and Accounts Receivable duties. Since that time, I’ve been promoted to the Assistant Finance Director, which includes the above responsibilities and many more. I enjoy every minute that I’m able to assist our employees or help our residents of the Orland Fire District.

What has been your favorite project/ accomplishment at Orland Fire District?

My favorite project/accomplishment at Orland Fire has been the successful implementation of our staffing program, Telestaff in July, 2008. It took a great deal of work and effort by many employees to design, input data and implement the product. I look forward to continued growth of its features and enhancements and always enjoy sharing my knowledge with my co-workers. I’ve been referred to as the “Telestaff guru”, which makes me smile!

What do you hope to be remembered for?

I hope to be remembered as a kind, caring and honest person, who raised 2 wonderful children (a Son and a Daughter) and now get to enjoy 3 amazing grandchildren (2 Granddaughters and 1 Grandson).

Mary Coughlin Assistant Finance Director

Who has influenced you most when it comes to your work ethic?

My parents raised my siblings and me to work hard, be trustworthy and be respectful! I certainly hope they are smiling down on me each day!

What are your hobbies and spare time activities?

We have a new beagle puppy, Blaze, so he keeps us busy. We are enjoying every minute with him!

In our spare time, my husband and I love to travel to visit friends in Las Vegas and visit a few of their many casinos. And, we love to plant flowers, both annuals and perennials. We love our visits to large nurseries in the area to find unique flowers and garden decorations.

Do you have any programs that you are currently binge-watching?

A staple in our house is watching On Patrol Live! We also enjoy watching past episodes of Cops. I’m a huge Reality TV fan, so the current one I’m watching is 90 Day Fiance. It’s fun catching up on all the past episodes in the series.

FIRE & LIFE SAFETY

FIRE & LIFE SAFETY

WHAT’S NEW?

25th ANNIVERSARY LINE-OF-DUTY DEATH OF B/C WILLIAM BONNAR, SR.

A special Memorial Service was held February 25th marking the 25th anniversary of the line-of-duty death of Battalion Chief William Bonnar Sr. In Chief Bonnar’s 26 years with the Fire District, he was one of the first full time Paramedics, founding member of Local 2754 and EMS Coordinator.

Chief Schofield spoke to all the qualities that made B/C Bonnar, Sr. such a great leader and all the ways he had much to do with making the OFPD the great District it is today. Engineer Mark Hogan spoke on behalf of Local 2754 stating that though the younger guys never knew him, his reputation and the good he did for the District lives on. After a Bell Ceremony and Moment of Silence, the Bonnar

VISITING FIRE BUDDY ISLA

Our Firefighters from Truck 1 paid a visit to their Fire Buddy Isla, they helped this amazing family break in a new trampoline in the backyard.

DISTINGUISHED BUDGET PRESENTATION AWARD

Congrats to Finance Director Kerry Sullivan and her team on being awarded the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award again this year!

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) established the Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program in 1984 to encourage and assist state and local governments to prepare budget documents of the very highest quality that reflect both the guidelines established by the National Advisory Council on State and Local Budgeting and the GFOA's best practices on budgeting and then to recognize individual governments that succeed in achieving that goal. Approximately 1,800 governments, including states, cities, counties, special districts, school districts, and more have been recognized for transparency in budgeting. To earn recognition, budget documents must meet program criteria and excel as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide, and communication tool. The document can be found on our website at: www.orlandfire.org

WHAT’S NEW?

HAPPY RETIREMENT TO EMS ADMINISTRATOR MARK DUKE

Congratulations to EMS Administrator Lieutenant Mark Duke on his retirement after 26 years with the Orland Fire District. Many came out to wish him well. Chief Schofield spoke of the wonderful things he has done and what an impact he has made. The inscription on a plaque presented to him read:

As EMS Administrator you set an example for so many others and never lost sight of the goal to improve the lives of others. Through service, compassion, and dedication, you represent the very

best qualities of a leader. In the face of unprecedented COVID-19 challenges, your expertise, endurance, and hard work have been a lifeline for the members of our organization and our community.

Next, Mark moved his picture from the active wall to our Legacy Lane wall. Congratulations Mark you will be missed!

WHAT’S NEW?

WELCOME TO OUR NEWEST EMPLOYEES

FIRE & LIFE SAFETY CURRICULUM

After one year of hard work and dedication, we have successfully completed a comprehensive Fire and Life Safety Curriculum with the third-grade students at Cardinal Joseph Bernadin School. The children have gained a wealth of knowledge about fire prevention and life-safety. Remember, a small act of prevention can save lives and prevent devastating losses.

WELCOME TO OUR 12 FIREFIGHTER/PARAMEDICS

The Orland Fire Protection District is thrilled to welcome our 12 newest Firefighter/Paramedics who were sworn in on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, by Fire Commissioner Beth Damas Kaspar, at a ceremony held at the Orland Park Civic Center. They are: Jack Zwartz, Mike Zaida, Nick Perez, Nick James, Dan Klimson, Russ Siska, Joe Podschweit, Mark Poulos, Jake McCleary, Joe Gray, Brandyn Maher and Lucy Ramirez.

Alice Stevenson HR Associate

Betsy - Fire & Life Safety Educator

Amelia Milton

Project Manager

Training/EMS

WHAT’S NEW?

CONGRATULATIONS ON PROMOTION

On Thursday, February 16, 2023, Engineer Garrett Flavin was promoted to Lieutenant with the OFPD. Fire Commissioner Brian O'Neill administered his Oath of Office, his Grandfather Garrett Flavin pinned his Lieutenant's badge, and his friend OFPD Firefighter Zach Zweizig delivered his conferment speech. Congrats Garrett!

CONGRATULATIONS ON PROMOTION

On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, Lieutenant Jim Hynes was administered his Battalion Chief Oath of Office by Board of Fire Commissioners Chairman Matt Rafferty. Jim’s dad, a retired Chicago Battalion Chief, pinned his B/C badge, and his friend, OFPD Battalion Chief Erick Johnson delivered his conferment speech. Congrats Jim!

CONGRATULATIONS ON PROMOTION

On Thursday, April 6, 2023, a promotional ceremony was held at Orland Fire District. Fire Commissioner Beth Damas Kaspar administered the Engineer Oath of Office to Firefighters Justin Dublin and Zach Zweizig. Justin's fiance, Araceli, pinned his Engineer badge and Zach's son, Tristin, pinned his

Engineer badge. Next, Commissioner Kaspar administered the Lieutenant Oath of Office to Engineer Marc DeSardi. Marc's mom, Kathryn, pinned his Lt. badge, and his girlfriend, Francesca, delivered his conferment speech. Congrats Gentlemen!

WHAT’S NEW?

CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR RETIREMENT

Congratulations to:

 Engineer Tom Eisel who retired in April, 2023 after 26+ years with the OFPD

 Communications IT Director William (“Stuey”) Neumann who retired in April, 2023 with 22 years with the OFPD

 Engineer Dan Koenig who retired in May, 2023 with 27 years with the OFPD

 Firefighter Jim Pape who retired in May, 2023 with 26+ years with the OFPD

NATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATORS WEEK

In April, Orland Central Dispatch celebrated National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week 2023! It was a jam packed few days as the “Dispatch Globetrotters” traveled the world, eating international foods & playing the country’s games! With the help of local businesses, Fire Departments & Districts we serve, and generous donations, our “first” first responders have been honored all week. TCO Kim Coffou was presented with the “Telecommunicator of the Year” award, TCO Suzanne Dietz was recognized as “Teammate of the Year” award, and Pam Maliszewski with Healing Hearts Comfort Dogs was honored with the “We are Family” award. Rarely seen, but always heard, these are the heroes behind the scenes. The Orland Fire Protection District is very proud of the job our 911 Dispatchers do!

WHAT’S NEW?

Thanks to all who came out for our first Barbecue with the Brave event on the evening of May 10th at Station 1. It was the perfect weather and our Public Education & Fire Prevention employees. Betsy, Mike and Ryan grilled delicious burgers and hot dogs for all to enjoy! Thanks to Senior Advisory Council members, Cadets, Firefighters, and Administrative employees who stayed to help and Trustee Kaspar who stopped by to visit!

Our next event will be held at Station 2 on Wednesday, June 7th from 5 to 7 p.m.

WHAT’S NEW?

FIRE / AMBULANCE EMERGENCY

Orland Park and Orland Hills

Unincorporated Areas………………....(708) 349-3121

TDD………………………...……...….(708) 349-6633

Administration (Non-Emergency)...…. (708) 349-0074

Other Numbers:

Orland Police (Non-Emergency)……...(708) 349-4111

Orland Hills Police (Non-Emergency)..(708) 349-4434

Orland Park Village Hall……………...(708) 403-6100

Orland Park Public Works…………....(708) 403-6350

Orland Township……………………..(708) 403-4222

Animal Control…………………….…(708) 974-6140

Poison Control…………………….….(800) 222-1222

ORLAND FIRE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES

Be sure to check Orland Fire and the Village of Orland Park’s websites for updated information, additions, etc.

OFPD: www.orlandfire.org

Village: https://www.orlandpark.org/ departments/recreation-parks/specialevents