08/02/2011 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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~; True to form after the incident, I would say I heard from at least a dozen members of both departments who were not present that night in the weeks following that incident asking what had gone on and/or was my mother ok. Most of them had either seen it in the department log books and/or heard about it. It backs up what I've always observed about the North Olmsted safety forces, they know what goes in their neighborhoods, both good and bad, and they check them. In my more than 25 years as a professional journalist, I can note that not all departments are as vigilant as North Olmsted's are, and few are as good at their jobs or care as much about what goes on in their city. Lastly, I would cite the incident of July 1 when I came home early from work at her request because my mother called and said she wasn't feeling well. Like many mothers do with their children, she initially downplayed her distress when I arrived, but after I was reaching for the phone, and when I asked for the second time `do you want me to call the fire department' she assented. They again arrived promptly, with Firefighters Fusco and Weir returning on this run, along with veteran firefighter Carl Schanz and their shift commander, Lt. Tim Gut. They began treatment and again were talking with her while trying to help her cope with what was eventually ruled a fatal heart attack. After they made the decision that she should go to the hospital, they got her in the ambulance and maintained procedure by talking to her and keeping her talking to them and conscious while maintaining their constant efforts to try and stabilize her. Once we amved at the hospital, they maintained their caring and professional efforts even though the hospital now was taking over primary caze. I will always remember Weir exorting one of the emergency room nurses to take care of my mother because she was a special lady. My sister, whom I had called to the hospital, told me later of Schanz's speaking to her with compassion in the waiting room before I asked someone to please go get her when I heard the awful ER sounds that indicated our mom was struggling to live. I also will never forget a proud though terrible sight through the memories of that day -the sight of Mike Fusco climbing on top of my mother's gurney in the hospital ER room and personally taking over the chest compressions of my mother to make sure they didn't lose any chance of reviving her while the hospital staff changed personnel and positions. When I noted this later to Mike, he simply replied that they weren't going to let her go without a fight. Although she didn't make it that day, I'm sure my mom, the former chaplain knew as I do, that she went out with the best and that if any department could have brought her through the heart attack with their help and the grace of the Almighty, it would be North Olmsted. As ever, I would note that the safety forces in our city routinely put forth their top efforts and are a major reason why I chose to make North Olmsted home, which my mother agreed to for similar reasons when I was considering potential homes. Seeing the brutal economy to which we all have been and continue to be subjected to the past few years, I realize you have had to and continue to have to wrestle with terrible budget decisions. I have had to cover as a journalist those tough decisions you have had to make. I would ask as a resident, that you remember these incidents involving my family are the norm for our police and fire departments and make sure that you