Illinois bank honored for commitment to first aid

Northwestern Financial Review, Nov 1-Nov 14, 2003 by Hilgert, Jackie

Tom Marantz, chairman and CEO of the Bank of Springfield, Ill., remembers being called when one of his customers had a health crisis at the bank. "It was a seizure and there was nothing we could do," Marantz said, recalling the feeling of helplessness that came over him when a good customer - and a family friend - lay helpless in his bank. "We're bankers, so the only thing we could think to do was to take his wallet away so his credit cards wouldn't be stolen at the hospital," he said.

Months later that incident came back to Marantz when a representative of the Springfield Red Cross approached the bank for a financial donation. That's when Marantz decided that his $330 million bank could plunge a bit deeper with its philanthropic efforts than donating money to the local Red Cross chapter.

"We had someone on staff who was trained to teach first aid so we set up an in-house training program for our employees," Marantz said. The bank encouraged its 155 employees to undergo the optional training which included first aid, CPR training for infants and adults, and training on the use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). In addition to underwriting the training, the bank purchased AED units for its four retail locations plus its operations center.

Although employees were handling a record number of mortgage loans," Marantz reported, "we still had 50 employees undergo the training."

Tim Jenkins, the bank's vice president, said the bank will offer a second round of training now that the mortgage tide has receded. "We know this is one way for us to be a good corporate citizen," Jenkins said. "We also know that our employees have used their training outside of the bank."

Marantz downplayed the investment of placing AEDs in all of his bank's locations. "Each one cost about $4,000 and we can depreciate them over five years," he said. "The more I learned about them the more ridiculous I thought it was not to have them."

AEDs are fully automated with voice prompts that step users through the process of administering shocks to a patient in cardiac arrest. Marantz said he went to his personal physician to obtain the required prescription for his bank and checked with his insurance carrier to learn what, if any, liability issues the bank might encounter. His insurance broker told him liability wouldn't be a concern.

"Scott Clarke (assistant commissioner of the Illinois Office of Banks & Real Estate) is very active with the Red Cross in Illinois," Marantz added. He encouraged the bank's efforts, Marantz said.

The bank's employees who've undergone the training now have the potential to positively impact their community, said Andrea Cusick, senior vice president communications for the Community Bankers Association of Illinois.

The potential positive impact to community was cited as the reason why the Bank of Springfield should receive the 2003 BKD Award for Excellence & Innovation. The award, cosponsored by CBAI and accounting firm, BKD LLP, was presented at CBAI's annual meeting in September.

The annual award recognizes outstanding philanthropic work or innovations in the banking industry that can be modeled by other community banks in the state.

By Jackie Hilgert