Off-Duty Firefighters Save
A LIFE
Firefighters honored with
Lifesaving Citation Award
Just another ordinary day, but maybe not for two
off-duty San Bernardino County Fire Fighters, while shopping with their
families at the Sprouts Market located in Rancho Cucamonga. Captain/Paramedic Brett Dickerson and Engineer/Paramedic
Dustin Griffin had just come upon each other at the checkout counter, when they
heard a commotion in the deli area. Griffin
went to investigate and noticed a store employee lying on the floor
unresponsive. Realizing there was a medical emergency, Dickerson quickly joined
Griffin.
Both firefighters rapidly took control of the
situation, evaluating the patient and administering medical attention.
They immediately called 9-1-1 and started CPR,
while a store employee retrieved an AED (automatic external defibrillator). Continuing
CPR, Dickerson and Griffin hooked up the AED to the patient, where they were
guided to shock the subject and then continue CPR.
Shortly after, the patient regained a cardiac
rhythm. The Rancho Cucamonga Fire Dept. arrived on scene while CPR was in
progress. Firefighters Dickerson and Griffin remained to assist with
continued patient care and loading the patient on the gurney for transport to a
local hospital.
The victim, an adult male in his 50’s, survived
the cardiac arrest and is expected to make a full recovery thanks impart to the
quick actions of Dickerson and Griffin. Friday, June 6th, the
Rancho Cucamonga City Council honored Dickerson and Griffin with the Lifesaving
Citation Award for their lifesaving efforts.
About Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Although a
heart attack can lead to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the two are not the same.
SCA is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly,
whereas a heart attack is when blood flow to the heart is blocked, but the
heart continues to beat.
Each year,
more than 420,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur, making it the leading
cause of death in the United States. Survival rates nationally for SCA are less
than eight percent, but delivery of CPR can sustain life until paramedics
arrive by maintaining vital blood flow to the heart and brain. However, only
about a third of SCA victims receive bystander CPR. Without CPR, brain damage
or death can occur in minutes. The average EMS response time is nine minutes,
even in urban settings; after 10 minutes there is little chance of successful
resuscitation.
The American
Heart Association estimates that effective bystander CPR, provided immediately
after SCA, can double or triple a person’s chance of survival.
A new app called PulsePoint alerts
CPR-trained bystanders, like you, to a cardiac emergency in your vicinity. You
can now get to the scene and start CPR in the critical lifesaving minutes
before EMS teams arrive. Learn more about PulsePoint and download your free app
at www.sbcfire.org