Maitland City Talk

On June 12, the Maitland Fire Rescue Department held a promotional and new hire ceremony at City Hall. Fire Chief Kimberly Neisler administered the oath of office and conducted a “pinning” ceremony to three new firefighters. A newly promoted lieutenant and two engineers were also ceremoniously “pinned” into their new positions.

The fire chief also recognized several members of the department who have gone above and beyond in delivering exceptional customer service to the citizens, businesses and visitors of Maitland.

The following members of the community were also recognized: the Friends of First Response-Maitland, the Winter Park Health Foundation, local eagle scouts, and six individuals for their life-giving assistance during a life-threatening event.

The Friends of First Response-Maitland provided custom-made shields to fire rescue personnel with five or more years of service. The shields identify the firefighter and their unit – whether on the job or during a ceremonial event.

The Winter Park Health Foundation provided funding for the purchase of resident knox boxes and supplies for an upcoming wellness event to be hosted by the Maitland Fire Rescue Department.

Thirdly, Eagle Scout Raymond Wittam received special recognition for planning and building a window bailout prop to assist Maitland firefighters in their training. The prop was part of his Eagle Scout project.

And, finally, the fire chief presented the Civilian Award of Merit to Alexander Jennings, Wes Gonzales, Wes McKee, Blake Anderson, Griff Miller, and Dr. Rodrigo Nehgme for their assistance during a pediatric cardiac arrest. Their quick actions included bystander CPR and defibrillation by an automatic external defibrillator. The immediate CPR and defibrillation contributed to the patient regaining consciousness. The patient had a full recovery from the incident with no permanent impairment or damage.

The Maitland Fire Rescue Department offers lifesaving CPR classes twice a year. If you are interested in learning bystander CPR and how to operate an AED, please call 407-539-6229 for more information.

Park mural opportunity

The city of Maitland seeks a 630-square-foot mural on the wall that connects Covered Bridge Park to Minnehaha Park. The mural does not have to be continuous, but it should be environmentally themed as appropriate for the park site. The artwork should be complementary to Maitland’s character, aesthetic and unique sense of place. Concept drawings are requested for the selection process and submittals must arrive by 5 p.m. on Monday, June 29. For more information, please see http://bit.ly/MaitlandMural. Be sure to review the PDF in the "Files Available for Viewing or Download" box, too, for specifics.