Elburn businessmen donate life-saving equipment to police department

Thanks to Dave Rissman of Dave’s Barber Shop in Elburn and his son Greg, the owner of Rissman Tax Services, each patrol vehicle in the village of Elburn has “another tool in their toolkit,” Police Chief Nick Sikora said.

The Rissmans donated eight LifeVac rescue suction devices, which could come in handy when an officer is in a situation where someone is choking.

“The police officers have used the Heimlich maneuver in the past, but this will be very useful when there’s a large size difference or when it’s a child,” Sikora said.

Dave Rissman said the devices were something he saw and learned about from his daughters, who have little babies and LifeVacs at home. He was cutting the chief’s hair one day and asked him what his officers do when they come across someone who is choking. Sikora said they would use the Heimlich maneuver.

“What if it’s a small person and it’s a [larger] guy who’s choking?” Rissman asked.

Sikora said he responded in the affirmative when Rissman asked him if police would use the devices if they had them.

Rissman presented the devices to Sikora at the Village Board meeting April 15. Patrol officers are going through the online training video before they equip their cars with the devices.

“It’s easily deployed,” Sikora said. “There’s also an instruction booklet that comes with it.”

According to LifeVac’s website, the device is designed with a patented valve to prevent any air from exiting through the mask. The valve prevents air from pushing food or objects downward, creating a one-way suction to remove the lodged food or object.

“We’re very grateful to Dave and his son for this donation,” Sikora said