Check smoke detector batteries when you turn clocks back.
Check smoke detector batteries when you turn clocks back.

(Syracuse, NY – Nov. 2015) The American Red Cross of Central New York will honor several people for extraordinary courage at its 17th annual Real Heroes Breakfast on Wednesday Dec. 2 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at the Oncenter in Syracuse.

The Real Heroes Breakfast celebrates the Red Cross mission of alleviating human suffering by recognizing people from throughout Central New York who have performed heroic acts in life-threatening situations. The honorees include first responders as well as ordinary citizens who are directly responsible for saving a life or multiple lives.

Proceeds from the Real Heroes Breakfast benefit the Red Cross, which provides relief to victims of disasters and helps people prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Last year, the American Red Cross of Central New York provided $246,602 in direct financial assistance to 1,390 individuals affected by fire and other local disasters in Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties.

To purchase a table or tickets, please call (315) 234-2225.

 

2015 Real Heroes:

Adult Good Samaritan – John DeFeo

DeFeo heard the sound of a two-car collision on Burnet Avenue, Syracuse. When he arrived on the scene to investigate further, he saw a young girl slumped over in the back seat of one of the vehicles, her mother besides her screaming. He removed the girl from the vehicle and began performing CPR.

Youth Good Samaritan – Damon Niles

14-year-old Niles put to use what he learned during the Manlius Fire Department’s “Junior Firefighter Academy” when he was awakened by the smell of smoke at his home.  He raced to wake his parents and then called 9-1-1. Thanks to his training, he was able to recite the information he knew the firefighters would need; the address, where the smoke and fire was coming from, and the safety of those inside.

Animal Rescue – Nate Farrington

Farrington, an accomplished rock-climber and cave explorer, rescued a female Doberman who had fallen 15 feet into a narrow crevice at Clark Reservation State Park in Jamesville. Firefighters spent several hours in difficult winter conditions trying to rescue the dog, but were unable to reach her. Farrington crawled into the crevice, snared the dog with a catch pole and handed it to the firefighters above who pulled the dog to safety.

Blood Donor –  John O’Loughlin

O”Loughlin has been a Red Cross blood donor for decades and proudly professes that he has donated more than 240 units, that’s 30 gallons, since 1992. He has always encouraged family, friends and co-workers to join him in this worthy cause.

Education – Lexi Phillips, Katie Hughes, Will Kivorik, David Petrela, Casey Sawyer and Zach Shaw.

Last June, a school field trip to Jamesville Beach Park almost turned tragic but the lifeguards saved the day, and the life of a 14-year-old student who nearly drowned. A swimmer yelled to shore that another swimmer was in distress. The lifeguards found the girl nine-feet-deep at the bottom of the reservoir. They brought her to shore and administered oxygen until an ambulance arrived.

Fire Rescue – Solvay Fire Department: Deputy Chief David Bosco, Deputy Chief Matthew Zingaro, Capt.Tom Rotella Jr., Firefighters Kyle Kinsella, Bryan Griffen, Josh Akkoul, Austin D’Alessandro, Jeremy Cantello, David Hamilton, Tyler Spellman and Adam Tanzella,

There was a report of a serious motorcycle accident on a very dark section of the 690 bypass. The first responders could not find the victim. They performed an extensive search, and they eventually located the victim at the bottom of a ravine in very critical condition. They performed several life-saving measures on the scene.

Good Neighbor – Phyllis Tanner

Lucy Cacciotti parked her car at the Boyle Center in Auburn.  When she got out of the car she realized that the vehicle wasn’t correctly aligned in the parking spot, so she got back in to straighten it out.  She exited the vehicle without putting it into park, and the car began moving down a slope. Cacciotto was being dragged alongside the car.  Tanner was nearby and risked her own safety by running to the vehicle, jumping into the passenger side and stopping the vehicle.

Law Enforcement – Syracuse Police Officers Christopher Romano, Michael Smith and William Foster

Officers Romano and Smith were on their way to a dispute call when they noticed smoke billowing from a two-family home.  They banged on several doors, and a downstairs resident told them there was a family living in the upstairs apartment.  Hearing the radio dispatch, Officer Foster arrived on the scene and the three officers broke down the door of the upstairs apartment which was filled with smoke. There were three people sleeping inside. All the occupants escaped uninjured.

Lifeline – Elizabeth Martin, Dr. Richard Lockwood, Dr. Arthur Vercillo, M.D., Nurse Diane Jillson

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield’s Regional Communications Vice President Liz Martin noticed that a co-worker didn’t look well and wasn’t acting right. Martin convinced him to see Dr. Arthur Vercillo, the company’s regional president at the time. Dr. Vercillo determined that he was going into shock.  The Emergency Response Team was called. Upon their arrival, Dr. Richard Lockwood and nurse Diana Jillson found that the man’s heart was beating rapidly and wasn’t pumping blood properly.  They called 9-1-1. Paramedics restored his heart to normal rhythm and transported him to an area hospital.

Medical –  Tyler Cominsky and Theresa Massello

A mother’s seven-and-a-half month old daughter fell out of her high chair, landing on a hardwood kitchen floor. The woman, a pediatric nurse, picked up her daughter and the girl suffered a seizure in her arms.  She called 9-1-1 while also breathing into her daughter’s mouth. Within 6 minutes of the call, paramedics Cominsky and Massello arrived on the scene. The child had no heartbeat, so they performed CPR and transported her to a hospital.  During transport, they were able to stabilize her condition with multiple injections of life-saving medications.

Military – Lawrence Gabriel

Gabriel was working as a bouncer at McAvan’s Pub when man with a gun fired several shots into the crowd. Gabriel, along with his fiancée and his cousin, managed to pull the gunman out of the pub ensuring the safety of those inside. During the struggle, Gabriel was shot four times A total of six people were shot. Gabriel is an Army veteran who served in Iraq, and is also a member of the Army Reserves.

Workplace Safety – SMG (Service Management Group): Gary Butler, Steve Fletcher, John Gianni, Harold Gonzalez, Robert Hayden, Lori Salmonsen, Carl Sternberg, Brandon Southwick, Christy VanOstrand and  Meghan Wells

During a concert at the Crouse Hinds Theater, a patron had a medical emergency and was unresponsive. Fire Marshall Gary Butler, Security Coordinator Robert Hayden and an event staffer, Meghan Wells ran to the scene.  Butler began to administer CPR. Christy VanOstrand, an R.N who was in attendance, assisted with CPR and AED. Other SMG employees helped secure the perimeter around the patron and a nearby elevator so the patient could be removed for transport.

For more information on the 2015 Real Heroes Breakfast, visit  redcross.org/ny/syracuse/real-heroes

By martha

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