For Immediate Release Contact: Collin Nash or Sid Nathan
July 23, 2009 (516) 869 7794
Great Neck Teen Volunteer Firefighter to be Honored by North Hempstead for Helping Save Florida Man’s Life
Great Neck, NY—Their vacation over, Joseph Oginski and his family were waiting at Southwest International Airport in Fort Meyers to catch a flight home when a frantic call for help ended up turning the newly-sworn-in volunteer firefighter into a national newsmaker.
A member of the Great Neck Vigilant Fire Company, Oginski, 17, helped save the life of a 75-year-old man on July 4 by performing CPR and helping other responders at the scene administer a defibrillator.
Oginski sprang into action when a gate attendant at the airport screamed for help after the unidentified man started to turn blue and lost all signs of a pulse.
“Joseph Oginski exemplifies the caliber of young people that constantly reassures us that the future does indeed rests in capable hands,” said Supervisor Jon Kaiman. “This administration is committed to doing what we can to support and encourage them.”
To honor Oginski for his bold act and quick reaction, Supervisor Jon Kaiman, the North Hempstead Town Board and Councilwoman Lee Seeman, Oginski’s neighbor whose district encompasses Great Neck, will award the young firefighter with a proclamation at the Aug. 4th town board meeting.
“It’s comforting to know that the safety of our community is in the very capable hands of young people like Joseph,” said Councilwoman Seeman, a good friend of the young firefighter’s late grandmother, Miriam Oginski. “I know that she would be very proud of him.”