Cassidy Saulter celebrated her 9th birthday Nov. 4 by attending the Oxford Township Board meeting.
The Clear Lake Elementary fourth-grader was there to watch three Oxford firefighters be honored for saving her father’s life last month.
Thanks to the efforts of Capt. Kurt Fechter, Firefighter/Paramedic Kevin Snell and Firefighter/EMT Ricky Dvorak, township resident Kevin Saulter survived his Oct. 5 heart attack, so he can continue being a husband to his wife Tara and father to Cassidy and his 7-year-old son Grant, a second-grader at Clear Lake.
‘I would like to personally thank all the members of the fire department for saving my life,? said Saulter, 57. ‘I would not be here without these gentlemen.?
‘Their skills and professionalism were an essential piece of the pre-hospital chain of survival,? said Fire Chief Pete Scholz during the presentation.
When firefighters arrived at Saulter’s home on Harwood Ct., they quickly determined he was suffering from an acute myocardial infarction, a lethal condition known commonly as a heart attack.
Using the department’s modern equipment, the firefighters were able to send data regarding Saulter’s heart rhythm to Crittenton hospital in Rochester Hills. This alerted staff there to prepare the cardiac catheterization team.
Twelve minutes after receiving the call, an Oxford ambulance left Saulter’s house for the hospital with him in the back receiving treatment and care.
When the ambulance arrived at Crittenton, the firefighters were able to completely bypass the emergency room (ER) and take Saulter directly to the catheterization lab where the cardiologist and cath team were able to ‘successfully correct his lethal heart rhythm,? according to Scholz.
‘That was one of the biggest keys (going past the ER),? Saulter said. ‘They knew what was coming in the door. They were sitting there ready. They just peeled my clothes off and shoved (the catheter) in my arm.?
‘I thank God for that,? he added. ‘Twenty to 30 years ago, I’d be gone.?
A mere 16 minutes elapsed from the time Saulter left the ambulance to the time he had a cardiac stent placed.
The procedure was performed in near-record time for the hospital, Scholz said.
‘The fire department did an outstanding job,? said Saulter, who told the board he felt he had ‘probably 5 minutes left? to live by the time he arrived at the hospital.
‘I could feel myself crashing,? he told this reporter.
Saulter said he began experiencing chest pains while driving on I-75. He managed to drive from the interstate to Ortonville, then to Oxford before finally realizing he could not make it all the way to Crittenton on his own.
‘I knew I couldn’t make it any farther,? he said. ‘I was fading too fast.?
He called his wife, who works as a surgical nurse at Crittenton, dialed 9-1-1, took an aspirin, then waited for the fire department to take over when he got home.
‘Halfway down (in the ambulance), the chest pain was enormous,? Saulter said. ‘They gave me morphine and two (nitroglycerin) pills.?
Saulter had no history of heart problems prior to this. ‘I’ve never been in the hospital before in my life,? he said.
Saulter is glad that when the chips were down, he had the Oxford Fire Department in his corner.
‘When I got to the hospital, they mentioned to me that there are only two places here that are going to get you to the hospital in time,? he told the board. ‘One is Rochester Hills. The other one is Oxford. If you are living in Lake Orion, good luck.?
Scholz thanked the citizens of Oxford and the township board for their ‘continued support? of the fire department.
‘Your support has granted us the personnel, the equipment and the training our members need every day to handle these life-threatening incidents,? he said.
Saulter’s wife also expressed her gratitude for the funds the community devotes to the fire department and the training received by the agency’s personnel.
‘Oxford should be very proud,? Tara said. ‘This is the result, you end up with dads that get to come home to their family.?