CrossRhodes

News Notes Written by Sarah Bilofsky, Director or Public Relations and Development

West Warwick Firefighters present a check for the proceeds from their recent spaghetti supper fundraiser to George Farrell, President of the Providence Fire Department and member of the American Red Cross of Rhode Island Board of Directors. Left to right: John Botello, Chris Seelenbrandt, Matt Manni, Farrell, Eric Norberg and Battalion Chief Jerry Tellier. The event raised nearly $5,000 for local fire victims.         Newport City Hall employees Linda Nalle, Senior Clerk Stenographer, and Michael J. Coury, Human Resources Administrator, practice Automated External Defibrillation (AED). Newport is the first municipality to sponsor the livesaving training for its employees.

Answering the Call When West Warwick Firefighter Matt Manni heard that the rash of fires this winter had depleted the financial resources of the Red Cross of Rhode Island he sprang into action. “No one knows better than firefighters how important Red Cross emergency services are at a fire scene,” he said. Manni gathered his colleagues together they organized a spaghetti supper that drew firefighters from across the state. Several hundred people showed up for the February 9th dinner, which raised nearly $5,000. Special thanks to the members of the following fire departments for participating: Central Falls, Coventry, Cranston, East Greenwich, Johnston, North Kingstown, North Providence, North Smithfield, Oak Land-Mapleville, Providence, Smithfield, Warwick, West Warwick and Lincoln Rescue. A Shocking Story; Newport City Hall Gets AED Training Most days, the Newport City Council chamber is used to pass laws. Last month, it was used to save lives. Fourteen City Hall employees made history by becoming the first municipal employees in the state trained by the American Red Cross in Automated External Defibrillation (AED). Once limited to emergency room physicians and emergency medical technicians, this lifesaving technique, which shocks the heart back to its normal rhythm, is now being taught to everyone — especially those who work in public buildings. While money was allocated to train the City Hall workers, no funding was available to purchase the AED. However, after the Providence Journal ran a story about the workers’ plan to raise the money, an anonymous donor came forward, offering to purchase the machine for Newport City Hall. If you are interested in signing up for an AED course or purchasing an AED for your workplace, contact George Neubaurer at 401.831.7700 ext. 121.

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