Mimi Wilson (R) and Rescue 1 Foundation President Sally Whittaker with Battalion Chief Jon Bensley holding one of the donated Cardiac Monitors at MOFD Station 45 in Orinda.
Honoring Pete Wilson’s longtime commitment to fire safety, the Wilson family and the Rescue 1 Foundation donated two portable Cardiac Monitors/Automatic Electronic Defibrillators (AED) to the Moraga Orinda Fire District, (MOFD), to help save lives.
“Pete Wilson was a major force behind the creation of the MOFD in 1997,” said Sally Whittaker, president of the foundation. “So, when Mimi Wilson reached out to us to do something to honor his memory, we were delighted to partner.”
“The LIFEPAK® 1000 defibrillators combine an AED with electrocardiogram for the more advanced rescuer,” said Line Medic Firefighter Tom Schwedhelm. “Major fire-fighting teams have a line medic who is trained to use these to assist the firefighters.”
Whenever a large group of firefighters are fighting major wildfires, in difficult terrains and for major events, the rugged, portable and light (7.1 pounds) LIFEPAK® 1000s are deployed to protect the firefighters.
MOFD was formed as an independent district, consolidating the Moraga and Orinda Fire Protection Districts, to provide more efficient fire protection and emergency medical services including to surrounding unincorporated areas of Canyon and Bollinger Canyon.
“Creation of MOFD was important to both Pete and me, as the two cities are in a recognized fire hazard zone,” said Mimi Wilson, a longtime Orinda resident with her husband Pete. “When Pete died last November, the family wanted to honor his years of commitment to MOFD and with the support of the Rescue 1 Foundation, we were able to donate the portable AEDs.”
Pete Wilson was on the MOFD Board of Directors from its inception through 2010.
“He was a steady hand in steering MOFD to its current capabilities and service delivery model,” said MOFD Fire Chief Dave Winnacker. “We are grateful for his many years of community service and honored to be able to deploy this cutting-edge equipment as part of his enduring legacy.”
Rescue 1 Foundation was established in 1977 as a non-profit, philanthropic organization “to receive and administer contributions in support of our district’s paramedic programs and to purchase equipment for our emergency ambulance service,” according to its website. This effort continues to provide MOFD with state-of-the-art equipment.
Recent donations include an automated CPR device, a residential utility vehicle and a remote, automatic weather station. For more information, visit www.rescue1foundation.org.
S.K. Gupta can be reached at sk.gupta.us@gmail.com.
