Groveland Twp.- Two local firefighters were among those honored last month for their work in saving the life of a 53-year-old Holly woman in March.
Firefighters/medics Dan Myers and Billy Starr, as well as Village of Holly Police Officers Craig Simpson and Heather Wolkow and Village of Holly Fire Sgt. Michael Mishler were recognized May 28 by the Oakland County Medical Authority for their combined efforts to save the woman, who suffered cardiac arrest.
‘The department can nominate employees for outstanding work each month to the OCMA,? said Groveland Fire Capt. John Williams. ‘They did an excellent job, they did everything in a timely manner. There were a lot of techniques they did that saved her life. It takes a lot of practice to stay and calm and do everything accurately and the way it needs to be done.?
An emergency call was made March 15 for a 53-year-old woman having a seizure in the Village of Holly. The police officers and Village of Holly firefighters were first to respond and upon arrival, found the woman not breathing and without a pulse. They began CPR and using an automatic defibrillator, shocked her twice before the arrival of Myers and Starr, who brought with them the Groveland Township Fire Department’s LUCAS II Chest Compression System.
The system, obtained by GFD in August 2013, provides uninterrupted compressions at a regular rate and depth for resuscitation.
‘I don’t think we could have saved her without the machine,? said Starr. ‘I think the machine increased the cardiac profusion and allowed me to give medications as well. The teamwork effect is what had the great outcome. Early CPR and defibrillation are what saves lives.?
Williams agreed.
‘It is very rare to get someone back once you’ve had to start CPR,? he said. ‘You need to initiate care within the first six minutes of the heart stopping or you have permanent tissue death and brain injury. At that point, the chances of getting them back are 10 percent at best. As soon as they got there, she was already not breathing.?
As well as the speedy arrival of emergency responders, the CPR machine ensured that chest compressions were consistently strong and evenly timed.
‘It’s pretty tiresome to do CPR, pumping on someone’s chest takes it out of you pretty quick,? said Williams. ‘Any one person, the compressions become shallower and shallower and you’re not compressing the heart enough to pump blood appropriately. The machine doesn’t get tired, it delivers 100 percent.?
The department purchased the machine at a cost of $13,000, but he observes that it is one of the most valuable tools the department has and a price can not be placed on a life.
Starr said it was nice for the department to receive recognition for their efforts.
‘This is what we do,? he said. ‘We save some, others we’re not able to, but its always good to know our efforts provided an extension to a person’s life, whether through CPR or administering medication. It’s always good to see a positive outcome to our treatment.?