Several Villa Park first responders and others were recently honored for their help in saving a village resident’s life last year.
Members of the village’s police and fire department, along with Villa Park residents, were presented with the American Heart Association (AHA) Heartsaver Hero Award at the Villa Park Village Board’s Oct. 26 meeting. The heroes were recognized for their contributions in assisting village resident Doug Brandow last year.
“Community safety begins before the sirens arrive,” said Villa Park Deputy Fire Chief Frank Reposh during the board meeting. “It begins when someone recognizes an emergency, calls 911, starts CPR, and uses an AED [Automated External Defibrillator].”
Brandow stood beside Reposh at the board meeting as Reposh described what happened in Villa Park at about 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 25, 2025.
“Mr. Brandow suffered a sudden medical emergency while walking his dog,” stated Reposh. “Paul Stika [a Villa Park resident] was driving home with his family when he saw Mr. Brandow lying on the sidewalk. He stopped, checked on him, and called 911.”
Reposh related that Brandow stopped breathing while Stika was on the phone with DU-COMM telecommunicator Samantha Doran, who “quickly upgraded the response and guided Mr. Stika through CPR.”
Officers Ilir Bekteshi and Nathan St. Clair of the Villa Park Police Department arrived within minutes of Stika’s call to 911. The officers applied their AED to Brandow and continued CPR. Several members of the Villa Park Fire Department, including Lieutenant Todd Gutzmer, Lieutenant Brian Morrice, and firefighter/paramedics Andy Fillipp, James Marcello, Josh Borowick, Steve Schimanski, and Tom Sandeno, responded and continued to treat Brandow.
“They restored Mr. Brandow’s pulse, and stabilized him, and transported him to the hospital,” said Reposh. “After a brief stay and rehabilitation, he returned home to his family.”
Villa Park’s Jennifer Biewer, who is one of Brandow’s neighbors, also provided critical assistance during the incident. According to Reposh, Biewer identified Mr. Brandow on scene, notified his wife, Judith, and helped her contact their children. Biewer then drove Judith Brandow to the hospital.
“Her kindness ensured that Mr. Brandow’s family was not alone,” said Reposh of Biewer. He stressed that Biewer and everyone else who was being honored with the AHA Heartsaver Hero Award worked skillfully in their respective roles to form a life-saving team.
Brandow is no stranger to Villa Park Village Hall. From 1979 to 1985, he served as a trustee on the Villa Park Village Board. He was elected village president in 1985 and served one four-year term (1985-89) in that position.
“I’m honored to be here,” said Brandow during the Oct. 26 village board meeting. “I’m pretty certain I would not be alive today if there weren’t life-saving help or first responders.”
Brandow said that he had a minor stroke while he was walking his dog on Aug. 25, 2025. He then lost his balance, collapsed, and became unresponsive.
“Every morning I’m thankful for being here because of the help of the first responders,” said Brandow while addressing the village board. “You can be very proud of the people you have employed.”
Reposh and Brandow presented the AHA Heartsaver Hero Award to Paul Stika, Jennifer Biewer, Samantha Doran of DU-COMM, and several members of the village’s fire and police departments, including Bekteshi, St. Clair, and Villa Park Police Sergeant Louis Easton. Most, but not all of the award recipients were able to attend the board meeting.
“I’m sure if you talked to each of these individuals, they would tell you that they were just doing their job,” stated Brandow while speaking to village board members about the first responders who worked to save his life. “And I appreciate that, and we expect that, and you expect that from them. But to me it goes further than that. Doing their jobs allowed me to be with my family and friends, and to help people in the rest of my life on their journey through life.”
