What an amazing turnout for our first lunch meeting as the merged Solon Rotary Club, now serving the communities of Beachwood, Pepper Pike, Orange, Solon, & Woodmere!
Our speaker today was Kenny Rybka, a 21-year veteran of the Bedford Fire Department and President and Co-Founder of Northern Ohio Public Safety Support (NOPSS). He was an incredibly engaging speaker and told us all about how his nonprofit organization provides rehabilitation services to support our local first responders on the scene.
Inaugural Lunch Meeting at Geraci's of Pepper Pike
We had incredible turnout for our first lunch meeting as a merged club. The meeting was held from 12:00-1:15pm at Geraci's of Pepper Pike. We enjoyed a buffet of fresh salad, pizzas, and pasta. We heard updates from our Membership Chair Judy Caine (update: “Please join!”) as well as from our Club Service Projects Chair Michelle Ryb, who reminded us of the following upcoming events:
Solon Rotary After Hours
August 6th, 4:30-6:30pm
Mavis Public House (Solon)
Monthly Breakfast Meeting
August 14th, 7:15-8:30am
Towneplace Suites (Solon)
Monthly Lunch Meeting
August 28th, 12:00-1:15pm
Geraci's of Pepper Pike
First Responders Dinner
September 3rd, 2026
Location TBD
Kenny Rybka, Co-President & Founder of Northern Ohio Public Safety Support
Our speaker today was Kenny Rybka, a 21-year veteran of the Bedford Fire Department who retired as Fire Chief. He now serves as the President and Co-Founder of Northern Ohio Public Safety Support (NOPSS), a 501(c)(3) public safety relief and support organization. And what an engaging speaker he was!
Kenny shared how this all-volunteer nonprofit provides critical support to firefighters, police officers, and other first responders during extended emergency incidents through a mobile facility offering shelter, food, hydration, and a place to rest. This innovative organization has become part of emergency response plans across Northeast Ohio but needs community support to ensure this important service remains available when our safety forces need it most.
He cites Ettore Boiardi (aka Chef Boyardee) and his F.D. Canteen Field Kitchen right here in Cleveland as one of the inspirations for founding the organization. Cardiac events are the leading cause of on-duty firefighter deaths, many resulting from the punishing conditions these first responders can experience on the scene of an incident. Their rehab support vehicle provides essentials such as active cooling for responders experiencing heat stress, heart rate and blood pressure monitoring, warming during winter months, electrolyte drinks and healthy snacks, and (importantly!) bathrooms on site.
NOPSS has over 20 volunteers and all donations go entirely to operations and expenses. They have assisted on over 10 local emergencies so far this year, including the recent Twinsburg gas explosion. They are currently looking for additional sources of long-term funding and always need volunteer assistance. While many of their volunteers have medical and safety force backgrounds, he ensured us that there are ways for people of all backgrounds to contribute.
To learn more about this important organization, please visit https://nopss.org/.