OFFICE OF THE MAYOR
CITY OF CHICAGO
RAHM EMANUEL MAYOR
June 8,2011
TO THE HONORABLE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CHICAGO
Ladies and Gentlemen:
1 transmit herewith a congratulatory resolution concerning the Chicago Fire Department. Your favorable consideration of this resolution will be appreciated.
Very truly yours,
Mayor
H resolution
adopted by Tile (9% QoUHCll
<fthe Qity of Qkicago, Illinois
presented by MAYOR RAHM EMANUEL_ Qn_JUNE 8, 2011
BYBQS > °n tne afternoon of March 23, 2011, Battalion 19, Truck 41, Squad 5, Engine 116, Ambulance 49 and other units of the Chicago Fire Department's 5th District responded to a report of a fire in the 6400 block of South Wood Street; and
WHEREAS, While en route, first responders learned that the fire's severity had been upgraded due to the rapid spread of the blaze; and
WHEREAS, The members of Engine 116 quickly led out hose lines to the rear of the building, where heavy black smoke and flames were issuing from the windows into the gangway; and
WHEREAS, The firefighters then learned the chilling news from family members that a child was trapped in the basement. Spurred on by the urgency of finding a missing five-year-old boy, members of Truck 41 rushed past the fire and the protection of the charged hose lines, down the stairs and into the unknown; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter Thomas O'Connell and his partner crawled through the intense heat and thick choking smoke, feeling their way across the basement floor. Meanwhile, Squad 5 arrived and began searching the lower level for victims. Teams also laddered the building and ventilated the roof, to reduce the risk of backdraft or flashover and make conditions more tolerable for firefighters inside; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter William Heenan of Squad 5 and his partner went into the south gangway and entered the basement by breaking through a glass-block window, a dangerous maneuver given the intense heat and other unknown perils in the basement; and
WHEREAS, Firefighter O'Connell soon found the child and began to carry his small unconscious body toward the cleared-out window opening provided just moments ago by Firefighter Heenan. He handed off the child to Firefighter Heenan, who brought the boy through the window; and
WHEREAS, 19th Battalion Chief and Fire Engineer/EMT John Meade of Engine 101 took hold of the child, who had no pulse and had ceased to breathe, and began administering CPR. Continuing his efforts, he brought the victim to Paramedic-in-Charge Kristoffer Kamper and Fire Paramedic Bryan Byrnes of Ambulance 49, who took over with advanced care; and
WHEREAS, Thanks to the team's sustained medical support, including establishing an intraosseous IV and supplemental oxygen by bag mask valve, the child was revived; and
WHEREAS, Soon the boy was conscious and able to respond to questions, although he was suffering from critical burns and severe smoke inhalation; and
WHEREAS, Although many members of the Chicago Fire Department contributed their skill and courage to this lifesaving rescue, it is with particular pride that we acknowledge today Firefighter Thomas O'Connell of Truck 41, Firefighter William Heenan of Squad 5, Engineer/EMT John Meade of Engine 101 and the two remarkable Paramedics from Ambulance 49, Paramedic-in-Charge Kristoffer Kamper and Fire Paramedic Bryan Byrnes; and
WHEREAS, The valor shown by all these individuals is in keeping with the finest traditions of the Chicago Fire Department; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this eighth day of June, 2011, do hereby honor Firefighters Thomas O'Connell and William Heenan, Engineer/EMT John Meade, Paramedic-in-Charge Kristoffer Kamper and Fire Paramedic Bryan Byrnes for their heroic rescue of a young boy trapped by a life threatening fire; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to these members of the Chicago Fire Department, and placed on permanent record in their personnel files, as a token of our appreciation and esteem.