ORFD will recognize members for cardiac arrest save; honor firefighter, officer

The Oak Ridge Fire Department will host a February ceremony that will recognize members for a cardiac arrest save in November and honor the firefighter and fire officer of the year.

The ceremony will be at 6 p.m. February 13 at Fire Station Number 3, which is at 333 Tuskegee Drive.

The Department will recognize Engine Company 2C for the cardiac arrest save, a press release said. This was the sixth cardiac arrest save within the last 12 months for the Oak Ridge Fire Department.

“The majority of time when people have a cardiac arrest, the outcome is not very good, so for us to have six saves in less than 12 months is something that is just amazing,” ORFD Chief Darryl Kerley said.

Chief Kerley said the higher-than-usual success rate is due to a number of factors: “We put our members through a tremendous amount of training, both in house and at conferences and workshops. We are blessed in Oak Ridge to have a Council that provides us with the funding we need to maintain equipment that is up to date and in great working condition, but most importantly, we have some of the greatest firefighters and paramedics imaginable who maintain a very high level of professionalism and training that keeps them on the cutting edge of providing services.”

The Department will also recognize the 2014 Firefighter of the Year and 2014 Fire Officer of the Year during the February 13 ceremony.

Firefighter/Paramedic Steve London has been selected by his peers as Firefighter of the Year. FFP London has been with the department since 2008 and is currently assigned to C shift.

He was selected for his work in both training of members during 2014 and his push for increased physical fitness improvements by members of the department, the press release said. He has helped several members improve their current levels of physical condition, in addition to becoming the first member of the ORFD to complete the nationally recognized Smoke Diver’s Course in Georgia back in September.

London has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, is a certified Fire Officer in Tennessee, and is also an active member of the Knoxville Volunteer Rescue Squad Technical Rescue Team.

Captain Eric Mocsari has been selected by his peers as the Officer of the Year. Captain Mocsari has been with the ORFD since 1992 and currently serves as a captain on C-shift.

He was selected for his continued excellence in leadership and mentoring firefighters within the department, the release said. Captain Mocsari has been very active in trainings both on his shift and throughout the Department.

He is a nationally registered paramedic, as well as a registered nurse. He has spent time working in emergency room departments throughout the region and currently works part-time as a flight nurse for Air-Evac Aeromedical Services. Mocsari is married and has two children; his wife is Melissa, and they have a daughter Whitney and a son Michael.

The public is welcome to attend the February 13 ceremony. For more information, call Kerley at (865) 425-3520.