BELLINGHAM — Chief R. William Miller is pleased to share that Bellingham Fire Department firefighters/paramedics recently performed life-saving CPR during a medical call.
On Saturday, Oct. 26, at approximately 1:30 p.m., Bellingham Fire was dispatched to Elvira Street for a medical call where a 50-year-old man was suffering from cardiac arrest. The person who called 911 to report the incident was actively performing CPR.
Bellingham Fire Lt. Zack Spencer and Firefighters/Paramedics Tim Cole, Johnathan Szerlag and David Howard responded to the home. The first arriving members found an unresponsive male in cardiac arrest with a family member performing CPR.
Bellingham Fire quickly took over compressions and applied a cardiac monitor, which showed an indication to defibrillate. The firefighters/paramedics defibrillated the patient and immediately felt a pulse. The man was loaded into a Bellingham Fire ambulance, where he awoke and began talking.
The patient was transported to a local hospital, where he is expected to make a full recovery and be able to return home.
“This was an incredible effort by all of our members who responded to the medical call,” Chief Miller said. “Due to the family member who quickly called us and began CPR and the prompt actions of our firefighters and paramedics at the scene, we were able to save a life. This highlights the importance of knowing how to respond in these situations and being trained in CPR. We want to wish the affected patient a very speedy recovery.”
October is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) Awareness Month, as declared by Congress in 2008. The month is designed to increase public awareness of the signs and symptoms of SCA, promote early recognition of SCA and encourage immediate action, educate individuals about the importance of learning CPR and using an automated external defibrillator (AED), and encourage research and advancements in the prevention and treatment of SCA.
According to the American Red Cross, more than 350,000 people experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the U.S. each year, and about 90% of them die. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating normally because of abnormal electrical activity.
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