Glen Echo's Annual Red Dress Ball Has Heart

By: Roger A. Marks, Firefighter

February is Heart month and every year Glen Echo's swing dance community, through the efforts of Flyingfeet Enterprises, hosts the "Red Dress Ball" dance that benefits the American Heart Association and women's cardiac health issues.

This year MCFRS Community Outreach (CO) added something new for the dance community to think about. As a follow-up to Trish Thompson's I-Team 4 series of Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) stories the CO team was joined by crews from Bethesda-Chevy Chase Rescue Squad and Glen Echo Fire Department to offer dancers insight into the chain of survival via High Performance CPR and public access AED's.

The historic Spanish Ballroom, where the event was held, is part of the National Park Service (NPS) and has an AED available to occupants that is maintained by the NPS. Approximately 325 people were in attendance this year including staff and volunteers.

In addition, the public was introduced to Glen Echo's new Paramedic chase car (ALS711) staffed by PMIC Danny Kuan, and Firefighter Meghan Quinn. Ambulance 741 had a crew of 3 including Driver Craig Pernick, Charge EMT Jordan Hoefler, and Acting Active Derek Schlickeisen.

Participants were also treated to a demonstration of the Lucas Device which is a battery operated mechanical piston that delivers flawless chest compressions during CPR. While the participants watched this technology effortlessly perform compressions, they also had an opportunity to try their hand at manual compressions with visual feedback from Physio-Control's True-CPR device. Everyone came to understand just how hard it is to maintain good chest compressions for CPR. MCFRS CO had approximately 100 people engage directly with the on hand Fire-Rescue personnel or try the hands-on activity.

Staff also had Files of Life on hand as well as information about the Alert Montgomery system. Photos from the event are below.

Media Advisory - Press Conference Today at 11 AM

LEGGETT TO JOIN REGIONAL OFFICIALS BEFORE JULY 4 HOLIDAY TO WARN OF DROWNING DANGERS IN POTOMAC RIVER

Thursday, July 1, 2010, 11 a.m.

Potomac River Overlook at Great Falls Tavern, 11710 MacArthur Boulevard., Potomac

Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett will join regional officials to highlight the ever-present dangers in the Potomac River Gorge in light of the two drownings on Memorial Day. Many out-of-town visitors, who may not be aware of the risks, are expected in the Washington area for the July 4 holiday weekend.

Officials will emphasize that swimming in the Potomac River is both deadly and illegal, that citations will continue to be issued for violations, and that entering the Potomac River to swim or cool off can result in death.

National Park Service and U.S. Park Police will release an updated DVD about the hazards of the Potomac River Gorge. The video is also available in Spanish and Vietnamese. These communities have had the highest number of recent drownings.

In additino to Leggett, speakers will include Kevin Brandt, superintendent, C &O Canal National Historical Park; Jon G. James, deputy superintendent, George Washington Memorial Parkway; William Lynch, assistant chief, United States Park Police; Richard Bowers, chief, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service; John Caussin, assistant fire chief, Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department; and Sgt. Jeffrey Blevins, Metropolitan Police Department Harbor Patrol Unit

NOTE TO EDITORS: Spanish and Vietnamese speakers will be available onsite for news media interviews.

News photographers and reporters are strongly advised to wear appropriate footwear, rain gear and clothing for wet and muddy conditions.

Directions and Parking: The Potomac River Overlook at Great Falls Tavern is located at the corner of MacArthur Boulevard and Falls Road in Potomac. Parking will be available in the Great Falls Tavern parking lot. News media microwave trucks or satellite trucks may drive across the bridge at Lock #19 (at Great Falls Tavern). All other crew cars must remain parked in the main parking lot at the Great Falls Tavern.

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Media Contacts: National Park Service, Bill Line/Toni Braxton, 202-619-7400 or
U.S. Park Police, Sgt. David Schlosser, 202-619-7163

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Press Conference Today

National Park Service, United States Park Police, Montgomery and Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Departments, D. C. Police Harbor Patrol, and Partner Organizations Renew Effort to Eliminate Potomac Gorge Preventable Drowning and Increase Hiking Trail Safety Awareness

• WHAT: Press conference to provide context and background for wide-spread effort to prevent incidents of drowning in the Potomac River Gorge and to reduce the number of hiking accidents on the Billy Goat Trail before the height of the recreational boating, kayaking and hiking seasons begin.

News photographers will have a photo opportunity with Montgomery and Fairfax County Fire & Rescue swift water rescue boats providing access onto the river to show the hazards of the Potomac River Gorge and of the Billy Goat Trail, part of the C&O Canal National Historical Park.

National Park Service and U.S. Park Police will unveil a new video product designed to show all visitors the hazards and dangers of the Potomac River Gorge. Besides English, the video has been translated into Spanish and Vietnamese, as these communities have provided the largest number of persons recently lost to drowning. Copies in all three languages will be made available.

• WHEN: Thursday, April 29, 2010. 11:00 a.m.

• WHERE: Old Angler’s Inn, 10800-block of MacArthur Blvd., Potomac, MD. Park in C &O Canal parking lot, walk downhill and across the C&O Canal’s Tow Path down to the Potomac River to press conference site at River’s edge. News media will board the rescue boats after the press conference.

• WHO: Representatives from the National Park Service, United States Park Police, Montgomery County, MD, Fairfax County, VA and District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department’s Harbor Patrol Unit.

NOTE: The NPS, U.S. Park Police, Montgomery County Fire & Rescue and Fairfax County Fire & Rescue will have Spanish language personnel available onsite, and the U.S. Park Police will also have Vietnamese language personnel available and on-site for news media interviews.

BACKGROUND: Rescue boats will be available providing photographer and reporter access onto the river to show the danger and hazards of the Potomac River Gorge and of the hiking challenges with the C&O Canal’s Billy Goat Trail. The NPS, the USPP and Montgomery County have recorded an increase in the number of preventable hiking accidents in this area resulting in broken and sprained ankles, broken legs, head injuries including concussions and other serious injuries that result in governmental agency efforts to treat and airlift injured hikers out of the river and from the Billy Goat Trail.

Sadly and regrettably, six (6) persons drown accidentally in the Potomac River Gorge in 2009. Between 2005 and 2008, there had been no accidental drownings in the Potomac River Gorge. Prior to 2005, between two and six persons accidentally drown, on average, in the Potomac River Gorge annually. The Potomac River Gorge is a 14-mile stretch of the Potomac River defined as immediately north of Key Bridge to just north of Great Falls on the Potomac.

Federal, county, city agencies and partner organizations play a large role in helping to ensure river and trail safety and want to remind all visitors of the dangerous conditions present, and to have visitors take necessary measures to prevent hiking accidents and to prevent drowning.

NOTE: News photographers and reporters are strongly advised to wear appropriate footwear, rain gear and clothing for wet and muddy conditions!

From the National Park Service Media Advisory

-NPS-