On the afternoon of Tuesday, June 29, a retirement-age gentleman went into full cardiac arrest at Westchester Lanes at 124 N. Eighth St.

No time was wasted in calling 911 and the Chesterton Fire Department—located only a block away—was on the scene quickly.

But in the case of cardiac arrest, seconds count, and fortunately for the victim there one was person at Westchester Lanes—its owner, Evelyn Ello—who knew exactly what to do. Ello is an open heart nurse at Porter hospital and immediately began performing CPR on the man.

On their arrival, Chesterton firefighters shocked the man twice with an automated external defibrillator (AED) and by the time EMS arrived at the scene he was conscious and responsive. That the man survived and is now undergoing cardiac rehab Fire Chief Mike Orlich attributes to Ello’s prompt, knowledgeable, and professional action.

At Monday’s meeting of the Town Council, Orlich and Deputy Fire Chief John Jarka presented Ello with the department’s Life-Saving Award.

The notation on the plaque: “This Life-Saving Award presented to Evelyn Ello in recognition for coming to the aid of another and rendering life-saving CPR on June 29, 2010. On behalf of Town of Chesterton, thank you. Present July 26, 2010.”

As Orlich observed on Monday, “It’s very, very unfortunate that CPR doesn’t always work out as well as it did in this case. And a lot of the time bystanders are apprehensive about helping.”

Orlich also thanked the council for agreeing some time ago to expend CEDIT funds to replace the CFD’s older AED and to outfit police squads with new ones.

Later in the meeting local disabled advocate Leonard Sullivan addressed the council from the floor, noting that Monday was the 20th anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) and wondering why the town still has not formally designated one of its employees as ADA liaison, a requirement of the federal legislation.

Sullivan specifically compared ADA as an unfunded mandate to MS4, whose requirements the town has been assiduous in meeting.

The position does not have to be full-time, Sullivan added.

Member Jim Ton, R-1st, took a moment at the end of the meeting to commend the CFD for its fine work on July 14 fighting the fire at the Paulson Oil Company’s bio-diesel storage facility on North 15th Street.

“It was a good job knocking it down,” Ton said. “That really could have been nasty. You’ve got a good group of good people.”

Clerk-Treasurer Gayle Polakowski also thanked folks for their thoughts, prayers, and condolences during the recent illness and death of her mother.

Posted 7/28/2010