News editor
La Grange Fire Captain Dave Rapp probably realizes electrocardiogram machines are not exactly the kind of stuff that may attract crowds at his department's annual Open House to kick off National Fire Prevention Week.
But he and his staff paramedics are enthusiastic about demonstrating to the public this weekend their use of a new 12-lead EKG device that helps them perform a basic heart test at the scene of a fire, accident or in an ambulance on the way to a hospital.
"It is a wonderful thing," said Rapp, noting the new device is being used under the advice and the license of the emergency medical service coordinator at Loyola University Medical Center. "It's a tool that's more diagnostic than a 3-lead EKG, which is what we've been running before."
However, that's just one of the educational demonstrations anticipated to take place at this year's Open House between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3 at the Fire Department headquarters, 300 W. Burlington Ave.
"What we really want to show is that we do more than put out fires and take sick people to the hospital," said Rapp. "We do much more than that."
For instance, the department's HazMat team will be on hand, helping visitors spray a fire hose at a plywood display and into makeshift windows.
The team, which helps bring under control any disasters or leaks involving hazardous materials, also will simulate stopping a leak in a 150-pound chemical cylinder.
What many area residents don't stop to ponder, Rapp related, is that La Grange has two major railroads criss-crossing through its borders and a huge amount of batteries and telecommunications equipment at the AT&T switching center at Ashland and Harris avenues -- a potential recipe for disaster.
If something happened there, he speculated, phone service could be out for months in the entire region.
The department's Technical Rescue Team, affiliated with the numerous other fire departments and districts that comprise the Mutual Aid Box Alarm System, will be performing "evolutions" by rappelling off a rope from atop the firehouse roof some 24 feet in the air.
A department liaison deals directly with MABAS when rescue personnel are needed and often as many as five team members are deployed from La Grange in such potentially dangerous exercises as below grade (trench) rescue, high-rise window rescue or water tower incidents.
"They can do water (rescue) and other types of confined entry ... such as in a sewer," he said. "They also help in extrications, using what most people know as 'The Jaws of Life' -- which is one of tools we'll be using."
La Grange has had few of those incidents of late, but the team was activated when tornadoes struck the region several years ago and during a recent trench collapse in Countryside when they assisted the Pleasantview Fire Protection District.
Representatives will be present from the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad to teach children and adults about safe crossing at train gates, whether they be passenger or freight trains. IHB has grade crossings at 47th Street and East Avenue and at both Cossitt and Lincoln avenues.The Police Department will have its canine unit there and information will be provided by folks from the Park District, the Public Library and La Grange Adventist Hospital.
The Fire Department will also be offering fire extinguisher demonstrations and giving away plastic fire helmets, bookmarks, pencils and temporary body tattoos.
Prize giveaways will include CO detectors, flashlights and extinguishers.
From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., free hot dogs, iced tea, lemonade and popcorn will be served.
Further information is available by calling (708) 579-2338.
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