By Audrey Fraizer
Paul Scott said he was lucky to have EMD Rick Hammond on the line when calling to report his friend’s possible cardiac arrest.
Hammond said the credit goes to Scott.
“Mr. Scott is the true hero,” Hammond countered. “He remained calm and collected so he could listen to my instructions.”
Scott’s friend—Jack Pearson—doesn’t quibble. After all, he was the lucky one to survive and go home from the hospital.
“He was very appreciative of us both,” said Hammond, who in February was among 12 EMDs at the Dane County Public Safety Communications (PSC) Center, Wis., recognized for their lifesaving efforts. “But I didn’t feel like I had done anything special. From my perspective, any co-worker would have done the same.”
And apparently they would have and did.
In February, the Dane County EMS Banquet celebrated 29 prehospital saves documented in 2014, of which EMDs had direct involvement in 16 incidents of sudden cardiac arrests (12 saves) by providing compressions-only instructions over the phone until EMS arrived on scene.
Dane County PSC Medical Director Paul Stiegler, M.D., said the 12 saves were “much in part” due to EMD-driven compressions-only CPR and the ability to use the Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) to arrive quickly at the ECHO-level calls by sending the closest unit with an AED regardless of jurisdiction.
“This is what drives our satisfaction for what we do, and it provides a template for every call we handle,” he said. “Thank you MPDS.”
In addition to Hammond, the EMDs (and their years at the PSC center) recognized at the banquet were:
Nathan Waite, 14 years, provided CPR instructions to a caller on March 22 assisting a 57-year-old patient who was unconscious and not breathing.
Mindy Fleming, six years, provided CPR instructions to a caller on April 12 assisting an 80-year-old man who was unconscious and not breathing.
Joe Wissinger, four years, provided CPR instructions to a caller on April 30 assisting a 77-year-old patient who was unresponsive and not breathing.
Pete Brower, seven years, provided CPR instructions to a caller on May 4 assisting a 52-year-old female patient not breathing, possibly due to choking.
Anita Barman, more than 20 years, provided CPR instructions to a caller on May 6 assisting a 67-year-old unconscious patient whose breathing status was unknown.
Leslie O’Kane provided CPR instructions to a caller for seven minutes on June 6 assisting a 48 year-old patient who was unconscious following a possible seizure.
Hammond provided CPR instructions to Scott, a Fitchburg, Wis., building inspector, for seven minutes on June 30 to assist Pearson, who was without a pulse and not breathing.
Kelsey Vike, with the center since April 2014, provided CPR instructions to a caller for nearly six minutes on July 31 to assist a 33-year-old patient who was without a pulse and not breathing.
Trevor Coogan, two years, provided CPR instructions to a caller for nearly seven minutes on Aug. 26 to assist a 66-year-old patient who was without a pulse and not breathing.
Lynne Hettrick, more than 30 years (now retired), provided CPR instructions to a caller for more than six minutes to assist a 78-year-old patient who was without a pulse and not breathing.
Breana Olivas, seven years, provided CPR instructions to a caller for almost four minutes on Oct. 3 to assist a patient who was without a pulse and not breathing.
Chad Godfroy, six years, provided CPR instructions to a caller for more than four minutes on Dec. 10 to assist a 50-year-old patient who was without a pulse and not breathing.
Dane County’s PSC center provides service to more than 80 agencies, including more than 20 police departments, 22 fire departments, and 19 EMS providers. The PSC center processed more than 500,000 calls in 2014, including nearly 200,000 9-1-1 calls. The center is a tri-ACE.
