New Lenox Resident, Firefighters Receive Life Saver Award

NEW LENOX, IL — A New Lenox resident and several New Lenox Fire Protection District firefighters will receive the district's Life Saver Award at the district's board of trustees meeting Oct. 21.

On July 1, New Lenox resident Leo Jimemez noticed his neighbor was unresponsive and performed CPR until paramedics arrived on scene, the fire district said. When paramedics/firefighters arrived, they found the 55-year-old neighbor in cardiac arrest.

According to the district, paramedics began the Cardiac Arrest Management Program and ALS interventions. The neighbor was able to regain his pulse with blood pressure and was taken to a local hospital.

“We want to say thank you to Leo Jimemez for being willing to help out a neighbor in need,” said NLFPD Deputy Chief Dan Turner. “It is because of his quick thinking and knowledge of what to do in this type of situation that we were able to achieve a great outcome for the patient. We are proud to give him our Life Saver Award, he truly deserves it.”

The district said the firefighters who were part of this emergency call will also be given the New Lenox Fire Protection District’s Life Saving Award at the trustees meeting.

The Life Saving Award is given to those who are directly involved in the successful resuscitation of a patient who was without a pulse or respirations, and the patient is resuscitated in the field and makes a complete and full recovery with little to no detrimental effects, the fire district said.

“Due to the severity of the situation, we look at someone who is not breathing the same as a structure fire,” Turner said in a release. “We send multiple firefighter/paramedics to calls for cardiac arrest. With the structured response, each rescuer has specific actions they provide, which has helped to create more positive outcomes than in years passed. Thanks to the early intervention of CPR by the neighbor, and our first responders, we were able to get the best possible outcome: this patient is able to continue to enjoy his life.”