Girl Scouts Learn CPR During Joliet Fire Station Tour

JOLIET, IL — More than 30 Joliet area Girl Scouts spent their Thursday night sitting in desks and listening to former Joliet Fire Department battalion chief John Koch demonstrate how to properly use an Automated External Defibrillator — commonly called an AED.

The young girls also learned the dos and don'ts of properly CPR during their visit to Joliet Fire Station 1, the city's main fire station, in downtown Joliet on Clinton Street.

These days, Koch serves as the Joliet Fire Department's battalion chief of community risk reduction. Koch's position was added to the city of Joliet's budget for 2022. The Joliet Fire Department went several years without having anybody serving in a public education/public outreach position, newly promoted Joliet Fire Chief Jeff Carey explained.

"Did you ever choke on anything?" Koch asked the Girl Scouts. "Anybody see somebody choking?"

Some of the girls responded that they knew of someone who choked on a sandwich or while drinking water.

Koch asked the Girl Scouts what they should do if they see someone choking.

"Call 911," one girl shouted.

"Very good," Koch told her.

Chief Carey told Joliet Patch it's his intent to utilize Koch to do a lot more community events and community outreach in hopes of preventing fires and saving lives in the months and years ahead.

One of the Joliet Fire Department's key efforts, Carey said, is to get more Joliet businesses to be carried with AEDs and, even more importantly, have their work force properly trained on how to use them.

If an AED is applied on someone suffering a heart attack within the first 60 seconds of cardiac arrest, 90 percent of the victims survive, Carey told Patch during Thursday's session for the Joliet area Girl Scouts.

"We want to really start doing more community outreach," Carey said.

As for the AEDs, "In every business in Joliet, we want to see these," Koch remarked during his presentation to the Girl Scouts.

The Joliet Fire Department will offer free hands-on CPR training and AED training for any Joliet business that has purchased an AED, the chief noted.

To arrange for a free event, businesses can call the Joliet Fire Department EMS division at 815-724-3503 or send email to jfdems@joliet.gov to learn more information about the program.

Also on hand for Thursday night's education were Joliet City Councilmen Joe Clement and Cesar Guerrero, both serving their first time on the Council as at-large members.

Clement said Patrick Robinson, vice president of development with NorthPoint, purchased a total of 13 pizzas from Niko's Pizzeria, so the Girl Scouts could eat dinner at the Joliet Fire Station after their education session.

"I want to thank him for taking care of the Girl Scouts," Clement said.