‘He has saved lives even after passing’: Buffalo Grove honors high school security guard posthumously

Wherever he went, Orlando Rivas touched people’s lives — and during one fateful April afternoon, gave his own to save others.

Rivas and his sacrifice were honored during Monday’s Buffalo Grove village board meeting, when Police Chief Brian Budds and the police department posthumously recognized Rivas with the Citizen Award for Valor.

His widow Erin accepted the award, holding her 4-year-old son Mateo, among gathering of supporters, including high school students.

Also in attendance was state Sen. Adriane Johnson, who sponsored a Senate resolution in Rivas’ honor.

Rivas, 52, had worked as a security guard at Buffalo Grove High School for only about eight months when, on April 21, a car leaving the school parking lot left the roadway and struck a light pole.

He reacted instantly, pushing students out of danger and putting himself in harm’s way as the utility pole fell, dealing him a fatal blow. Suffering a traumatic brain injury, he died three days later at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge.

“When faced with unimaginable danger, Orlando did not think of himself,” Budds told a packed board room. “Instead, he acted instinctively to shield and protect the students entrusted to his care.”

The crash remains under investigation, police said.

“I’m so proud of Orlando,” Erin said before the meeting. “I miss him so very much, but I’m so proud of him.”

The two met 20 years ago at a Chicago middle school. Orlando Rivas was working security, and Erin, who was working in the library, was drawn to his energy and his smile.

They married and eventually moved to Buffalo Grove. Rivas worked as a probation officer and also worked security at what is now Rate Field and at O’Hare International Airport — often holding two jobs simultaneously so his wife could stay home to raise their children.

Erin said working at the high school had been Orlando’s retirement goal. He quickly established relationships on campus, taking the time to get to know people.

“He would always focus in on an interest of theirs, or something as simple as what they’re wearing,” she said. “He just really was able to connect.”

Orlando is survived by four children, Sabrina, Hazel, Charlotte and Mateo. A GoFundMe account has been established for the family.

Erin said her husband was a fighter, something he proved in his final days. Doctors at Lutheran General Hospital told Erin that Orlando should have died instantly when the pole struck his head. They said it was a miracle he survived the ambulance ride. He then made it through a risky surgery but finally succumbed to his injuries.

Rivas was also an organ donor, and his heart, liver, lungs, kidneys and cornea all found recipients — including a man in Washington state who received his cornea.

“He has saved lives even after passing,” Erin said. “That’s Orlando.”