This award was presented to Ptl. Kuret and Gerber for their quick assistance of a female who, after being pulled from a car, was found to be not breathing and who was turning blue. Ptl. Kuret gave chest compressions and Ptl. Gerber administered oxygen from a CPR mask. Their quick actions kept her alive until the Mentor Fire Department arrived and administered narcan, which eventually revived her.

The Life Saving Award was also presented to Ptl. Smelcer, Ptl. Alvord and Ptl. Bruening for their prompt actions in assisting an unresponsive male with no heartbeat. Ptl. Smelcer and Alvord administered CPR, as well as the AED, and Ptl. Bruening used a bag valve mask to provide oxygen until the Mentor Fire Department arrived and the man was given a second AED shock, which restarted his heart. The man was then transported to the hospital.

We congratulate Patrolmen Kuret, Gerber, Smelcer, Bruening and Alvord for their outstanding work in the line of duty and for receiving this special award.

Crime Prevention Officer Marilyn Satterfield stated “the media really assisted in getting the message out and thank you to everyone who called to reserve a kit.  Unfortunately, we ran out of kits.   The response was over whelming”.  

She acknowledged that the department was fortunate to have been included in the Cuyahoga County campaign and thanks Cuyahoga County Safe Communities, Lake County Safe Communities,  and all of the sponsors, especially State Farm Insurance for their continued efforts to making our highways safe.  “We are always looking for local sponsors to help us get our safety messages out to the public and to help with planned safety events”, she stated.  For more information call (440) 974-5760 ext. 2118.

The Mentor Police Department, Lake and Cuyahoga County Safe Communities Coalitions are encouraging Super Bowl fans to get their game day plan together before enjoying the big game. “We want all community members to enjoy the football game,” says Police Chief Daniel Llewellyn, “but we also want them to return home safely. Driving impaired or riding with someone who is impaired is not worth the risk. Making the decision to not drink and drive or find a safe ride home is the best choice.”

Alcohol-impaired driving is no accident nor is it a victimless crime. 10,228 people died in motor vehicle crashes in 2010 in which an impaired driver got behind the wheel of a vehicle. Drinking and driving can result in loss of life or serious injury. These not only affect the lives of the impaired driver but can affect other families as well.

“As a party host, you are responsible for the actions of your guests,” notes Chief Llewellyn. You can be held civilly liable if someone leaves your party, gets behind the wheel, and hurts themselves or someone else in a crash. Remember, someone does not have to be heavily intoxicated to be impaired—impairment can begin with the first drink.”   Driving skills and abilities are impaired in most people long before they exhibit visible signs of drunkenness.

To help hosts prevent impaired driving on Super Bowl Sunday, Mentor Police Department will provide “game day party hosting” kits, while supplies last.

Each kit includes:

• a football shaped bowl for guests’ keys,

• a recipe guide with great non-alcoholic drinks,

• five drink coasters

• a $5.00 Giant Eagle gift card,

• a $5.00 Ace Taxi voucher,

• and cracker jacks or popcorn.

Kits are available at the police department  through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. while supplies last.

Please call (440) 974-5760 ext. 2118 to reserve a kit at the Mentor Police Department.

When hosting an event where alcohol is served, take steps to keep your guests safe:

1. Reassure your guests who don’t want to drink that they can still have fun. Don’t force drinks on your guests or rush to refill their glasses right away.

2. Always serve food, especially high-protein foods like cheese and meats that stay in the stomach longer, slowing down the absorption of alcohol into the bloodstream.

3. Avoid mixing alcohol with carbonated beverages because carbonation increases the speed that the body absorbs alcohol.

4. Have non-alcoholic drinks available.

5. Stop serving alcohol two hours before the party is over, but continue serving non-alcoholic drinks and food. Be aware that this two-hour wait is not enough time for most people to clear all the alcohol from their system.

6. DON’T LET PEOPLE DRINK AND DRIVE. Car pooling and cabs can save lives. It’s the responsibility of EVERYONE (especially the party host) to stop drinkers from driving.

7. Last, but far from least, make sure that all your guests know how you feel about drinking and driving.

The kits are provided in partnership with the Mentor Police Department through the Cuyahoga County Safe Communities Coalition, State Farm Insurance, Budweiser and Ace Taxi.

Additional Work Sessions on Deer Management are scheduled for January 31 and February 7 at 5:30 PM in Council Chambers.

The malware is appropriately called “Gameover” because once it’s on your computer, it can steal usernames and passwords and defeat common methods of user authentication employed by financial institutions. And once the crooks get into your bank account, it’s definitely “game over.”

See the FBI website for the complete article.

One (1) Unexpired 4-Year Term on the Board of Building & Zoning Appeals ending 12/31/13;

One (1) 3-Year Term on the Fair Housing Board ending 12/31/14;

One (1) Unexpired 3-Year Term on the Fair Housing Board ending 12/31/12.

Mentor residents seeking appointment to a position must submit an application/resume to the Clerk of Council. Deadline for submission is January 31, 2012. For more information contact limestahle@cityofmentor.com or call 440-974-5754.

The City of Mentor operates under a council-manager form of government. Voters elect council representatives who establish policy, pass ordinances and vote on appropriations. Council as a whole appoints a City Manager who is responsible for administrative operations and implements policies.

Every two years, Council chooses one of its own members to serve as President of Council. This year, Scott J. Marn (At-Large) was elected to serve as President of Council and Ray Kirchner (At-Large) was elected Vice President. According to the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), 40% of all American cities with populations over 2,500 operate under the council-manager form of government.

This is a common telephone scam used to defraud unsuspecting victims. The Mentor Police Department advises if anyone receives a phone call that is suspicious in nature, hang up and report it to your local police department.

Lt. Tom Powers
Mentor Police Department
(440) 974-5760

The City of Mentor received great news to start off the New Year. Senators Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman called Acting Fire Chief Robert Searles on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 to announce that Mentor was a successful recipient of a Federal grant.

Mentor will receive $119,600 from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s AFG program to purchase 50 portable radios for use by fire personnel. The upgraded radios are required to communicate with Lake County’s new 800 MHz radio system.

“Our first responders put their lives on the line every day across Ohio,” said Brown. “These funds will help ensure that firefighters in Lake County have the resources they need to perform their jobs safely.”

Acting Fire Chief Robert Searles was very appreciative of the award, “The new radios allow for full interoperability with adjacent communities and the statewide MARCS radio network and are crucial to our ability to provide basic services to our residents here in Mentor.  We want to thank our Senators for their assistance in helping Mentor secure this grant and the Department of Homeland Security for everything that they do to make our communities safer. “

The Assistance to Firefighters Grants (AFG) program is an integral component in the Department of Homeland Security’s effort to strengthen the nation’s general level of preparedness and capacity to respond to fire and related dangers, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency. AFG awards grants to departments and EMS organizations that are not directly affiliated with a hospital in an effort to enhance their ability to protect the health and safety of the public.