North Aurora honors officer who saved driver

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North Aurora Police Officer Ryan McKiness will be honored Monday for helping save the life of a heart attack victim.

Updated: February 28, 2012 8:10AM

NORTH AURORA — It’s not surprising that Officer Ryan McKiness was named North Aurora Officer of the Year this week for saving a man’s life in the line of duty.

After all, it runs in the family.

McKiness, a third-generation policeman in Kane County, remembers when his father, retired Kane County Sheriff’s Deputy Rick McKiness, was honored by the Sheriff’s Department for saving someone’s life in the early 1970s.

“It (his father’s rescue effort) wasn’t acknowledged then like we do now,” Ryan McKiness said. “I was very young at the time, but I’m pretty sure all he got was a lifesaving pin to wear on his uniform. It meant a lot to me to have him there when I received this award.”

All three Officer of the Year nominees were singled out for performing a heroic rescue.

Last May, Officer Michael Quinn rescued a traffic accident victim from a burning car, carried him to safety, then went back and put out the fire.

In July, Officer Randy Voss was responding to a report of a downed power line after a violent thunderstorm when he discovered that the power line had set a house on fire. Instead of waiting for firefighters to arrive, he entered the house and brought out the elderly resident and her dog.

Both were given the Distinguished Service Medal for their actions.

McKiness was one of five people credited with saving the life of Sugar Grove resident Phil Fleck last Sept. 20 after Fleck suffered a heart attack while driving a Terminex service truck on Pinehill Drive. Pinehill homeowners Melissa Lentz, Greg Meiers and George Pankow pulled Fleck from the truck, which had crashed into a parkway tree, and performed CPR on him with coaching from 911 dispatcher Stephanie Shaffer. McKiness quickly was on the scene, secured the scene and kept Fleck’s heart beating until paramedics arrived.

In November, Fleck and his family applauded as the Village Board gave McKiness the Lifesaving Medal. Shaffer, Pankow, Meiers and Lentz also were honored at the fall board meeting.

“I don’t remember any of it,” Fleck said. “One minute I’m just driving home from work, and the next minute I’m waking up in a hospital bed with my family around me. It’s unbelievable what all these people did for me. From what I’ve heard, they definitely saved my life.”

“It was a true miracle, and we are truly thankful for it,” added his wife, Linda Fleck.

McKiness maintains that what he did was all in a day’s work.

“This is the kind of thing we’re expected to do as police officers,” he said. “The weight of what happened, with Mr. Fleck making a full recovery, didn’t sink in for me until weeks later. I’m just glad it ended well.”

While McKiness said he was surprised and gratified to be named Officer of the Year, he was happiest that his immediate family was able to attend the ceremony. His wife, Kristy Camille-McKiness; mother, Wendy; brother, Derek Johnston (surname correct); and sister, Shanna McKiness, applauded alongside his father.

“It was nice to have my brother and sister there because they don’t work in law enforcement, so it was nice for them to get a window into my world and my father’s world,” McKiness said.

He also noted that this year’s competition for the award was especially tough.

“In the past, candidates have been chosen because they had cumulative accomplishments, like strong arrest records,” he said. “This year each of us was recognized for a single incident. I thought we all had an equal chance of being chosen, and I was humbled when it turned out to be me.”