Excerpts from the Chicago Tribune about Dr. Stanley M. Zydlo
Dr. Stanley M. Zydlo, a pioneering figure in emergency medical services, was the visionary behind the first multicommunity paramedic and EMT system in the United States. As the longtime head of emergency medical services at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, he transformed how emergency care was delivered across multiple communities.
“Stan was truly ahead of his time,†said former Palatine Mayor Rita Mullins. “He saw the potential to save lives and made it happen. His idea and determination have saved countless people.â€
Zydlo, 81, passed away on June 3 due to cardiac arrest at Northwest Community Hospital. His wife noted that he had been in declining health for some time.
Born and raised on Chicago’s West Side, Zydlo was the son of Stanley Zydlo Sr., who owned a tavern and later served as the 26th Ward alderman for 15 years. After earning his medical degree from Loyola University, he served as a flight surgeon in the Air Force’s Strategic Air Command during the Cuban Missile Crisis. His job involved assessing the physical and mental readiness of pilots and crew members flying nuclear-armed aircraft between Arkansas and the Soviet Union. He even flew on those missions himself.
After leaving the Air Force in 1963, Zydlo started a medical practice in Wabash, Indiana. He moved to Chicago in 1969 to work in the emergency room at Northwest Community Hospital. There, he encountered a serious problem: ambulance workers transported patients without any medical training, often failing to provide life-saving care along the way.
Larry Pairitz, who served as fire chief in Mount Prospect from 1970 to 1986, met Zydlo when he asked him to teach an EMT class for firefighters. Pairitz soon expanded the program to include neighboring departments.
This experience convinced Zydlo that firefighters could be trained to perform lifesaving procedures. He worked with Pairitz and activist Janet Schwettman to push for statewide standards requiring fire departments to offer paramedic services.
While many fire departments supported the idea, some doctors were skeptical about whether firefighters could handle advanced medical tasks. “There was strong opposition from some doctors,†Zydlo recalled in a 1994 interview. “But my motto was, ‘Just try to stop us from helping people.’â€
Zydlo spent years lobbying state officials to support the paramedic system, all while teaching firefighters the skills they needed. In 1994, he reflected on the tension between doctors and firefighters:
“People shouldn’t die just because someone doesn’t have an ‘M.D.’ on their collar. That was happening in our area and across the country. If you don’t survive the ride to the hospital, no doctor or technology can help you. It’s common sense.â€
In August 1972, Governor Richard Ogilvie signed a bill authorizing the paramedic system. The following month, Northwest Community Hospital launched its Mobile Intensive Care System. By the end of the year, nine towns joined the multicommunity EMS system, including Arlington Heights, Mount Prospect, and others. Today, the consortium includes 25 member agencies.
Zydlo remained the project’s medical director for many years, continuing to train paramedics and EMTs. He also benefited from the system himself in 1978 when he suffered a heart attack at home. “My pulse was weak, and I had almost no blood pressure,†he told the Tribune. “I managed to call for help, and those paramedics saved my life.â€
In November 1997, a Palatine fire station was named in his honor, recognizing his lasting impact on emergency care in the region.
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