Phone: 913-715-0725
111 S. Cherry St., Suite 3300, Olathe, KS 66061
The County Manager's Office is responsible to the Board of County Commissioners and the residents of Johnson County for the effective and efficient delivery of programs and services, using sound management and financial principles while emphasizing high ethical values, innovation, and continuous improvement.
It was a day Sam Carrera will never forget. The Johnson County resident was bicycling on Sept. 14 when he suddenly collapsed, suffering cardiac arrest. No one in his group of friends knew CPR. But two nurses just happened to be crossing his path when they rushed to his rescue. The women, along with a large team of emergency medical professionals, saved his life. And on Wednesday night, he got the chance to thank them.
“I’m excited about being here today,” Carerra said before the event got underway at Johnson County Community College. “I have yet to meet the two nurses who saved my life.”
He presented the nurses with hugs and flowers after a brief introduction about the day he nearly died. He was joined by other survivors at the annual Johnson County HeartSafe Foundation Celebration. The event honors bystanders who performed CPR and/or deployed an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to save a life.
The sudden cardiac arrest survivors ranged in age from 30 to 66. If someone suffers from cardiac arrest in Johnson County, there is a 60% chance that a bystander would perform CPR. While this is better than the national average of 38%, this means more than one in three people in cardiac arrest won’t benefit from life-saving chest interventions from bystanders and must wait for professional help. This wait can mean the difference between life and death. In Johnson County, because 61% of sudden cardiac arrests occur in the home, if an individual is called on to give CPR in an emergency, it will most likely be an attempt to save the life of a loved one: a child, a spouse, a parent or a friend.
The celebration event showcased five cases of cardiac emergencies and the bystanders who came forward to start CPR.
Carerra says he’s developed a whole new appreciation for life. And his friends who were originally with him for that bike ride, now all know CPR. Carerra has even engaged his employer, which is now offering CPR training to all staff on a regular basis.
Every minute that goes by without CPR, chances of survival decrease by 10%. HandsOnly CPR has been shown to be as effective as conventional CPR and does not require mouth-to-mouth breathing. It can double or even triple a victim's chance of survival.
You can learn HandsOnly CPR at 5:30 p.m., May 7, in room 1075, in the Sunset Building at 11811 S. Sunset Drive, Olathe.
Learn more at jocoheartsafe.org/.
After several months of work, study and discussion, today the Board of County Commissioners unanimously adopted its 2019-2020 priorities. The board, along with staff, held a 1 1/2 day retreat in January, followed by discussions at Board of County Commissioner meetings and a March study session.
The BOCC has identified the following top three priorities for 2019-2020:
1. Complete/advance existing projects approved by voters and the Board of County Commissioners with efficiency and effectiveness.
2. Strengthen and finance the appropriate level of service to meet the needs of the county’s vulnerable populations, pursuing innovative strategies.
3. Develop a creative and innovative vision for a transit plan that is financially sustainable.
In this attached document you can learn more about these priorities as well as other topics identified.
“I want to thank our board, Executive Leadership Team members, the County Manager’s Office and other staff who played a role in the important work that lead to today’s adoption,” said County Manager Penny Postoak Ferguson. “I look forward to our collaborative efforts during the next two years on these priorities and the positive impact they will have on the residents we serve.”
New Weather Alert Options
NotifyJoCo, the county's emergency mass notification system, issues severe thunderstorm and tornado watches and warnings. But as of today, you can opt in to receive Flash Flood Warnings which are particularly important this time of year.
Come winter weather season, additional warnings for Blizzards, Ice Storms and Winter Storms will also be important tools.
In addition to JoCo Magazine, the Best Times, the county's website and social media channels, there is yet another way that you can have Johnson County news delivered to you, on a quarterly basis. Interested residents will receive updates on major projects, strategic priorities, county news and events. All you have to do is sign up on the county's homepage. Look for the JoCo Quarterly logo.
In its work on a Kansas Department of Health and Environment Sexual Violence Prevention grant, the Johnson County Department of Health and Environment conducted a community assessment related to sexual violence in Johnson County. The assessment survey explored the risk and protective factors of community support and connectedness, community perceptions of violence and harmful norms around gender and gender equity. A work group of community partners met regularly to review existing data, design the survey, plan for survey dissemination and review survey responses.
A draft report of the findings is currently being reviewed and will be available within a few weeks. The next step will be to develop a community response plan and then begin implementation of the plan.
Johnson County Mental Health Center delivered its first session of safeTALK, a suicide-alert helper training, Tuesday. This training is specifically crafted for individuals who don’t have a professional background in the mental health industry.
“Twenty new people were trained in the helping steps of safeTALK,” said Johnson County Mental Health Center Prevention Coordinator Megan Clark, who facilitated the training. “With trainings like these, we are helping create a suicide safer community.”
The name of the program is an acronym both for the type of program it is and for the tool it delivers. “Safe” stands for Suicide Alertness For Everyone. “TALK” is the acronym for the tool taught in the class: Tell, Ask, Listen and Keep Safe.
“The participants were excited about the material and already brainstorming ways this information could be shared in organizations throughout the county,” Clark explained.
The next safeTALK training will take place from 1 – 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 6, at the Mission office of Johnson County Mental Health Center, located at 6000 Lamar Ave. The cost is $25, and registration is already filling fast. To register, email Jenni Leaton or call 913-826-1585.
Get access to published meetings, resolutions, transcripts, management reports, and general files from the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners board meetings.
111 S Cherry St, Olathe, KS 66061 | 913-715-5000 | TDD: 800-766-3777
© Johnson County, KS, USA 2018
