Once or twice in a career

The other night my crew and I were invited to take part in a ceremony at work honoring the garbageman who performed CPR on a man in cardiac arrest.  (I wrote about it in a previous blog.)  By the time we had transported the man to the ER he had pulses back so it was what we call a "code save".  Over 90% of the time that means that we deliver them 'alive' but they die in hospital from the initial event or the many complications that arise from suffering cardiac arrest.  However, once or twice in a career you get the chance to meet someone on whom you have performed CPR.  The first time this happened for me was about 10 years ago.  We had been called to a local YMCA gymnasium.  Someone had collapsed playing basketball.  My crew was second in on that one.  We helped package and transport.  A year later the man came by with his family to say thank you.  Let me tell you it is quite a moment when you are looking the family in the eye and they are so grateful at their second chance in life!

Now, as I said, the ceremony was for the young garbageman who performed CPR.  I had not seen his face because when we switched over and I took over doing compressions for him I only saw his back.  From that point on I was 'a little busy' and so only learned who he was much later.  Well, the man who had suffered cardiac arrest not only lived to get to the ER - he walked out of the hospital on his own!  From what Eric, (the garbageman) told me, there had been one cardiac artery that was 98% occluded and another that was 90% occluded.  Now he was home recuperating with a good chance at living a normal life.  One of my crew told me that the family had come by the station to say thanks (though I was not at my station that day as I was Acting BC so assigned to a different station).  There is a real satisfaction at experiencing this kind of outcome even though it is so rare.  Now my second time in nearly 28 years of involvement with the Fire service...and a lot of CPR done in that time.  It is all down to how quickly someone starts effective compressions after the arrest occurs.  Do you know CPR?  You could save a life if you do.

I see dead people...

Yesterday I pulled a shift at a station different than my own.  I am a Hazardous Materials Technician and the station that houses our techs was one short.  So I was 'detailed' to fill that spot.  It was a beautiful warm, sunny day; quite a bit different from the cloudy rainy patch through which we in the NW were slogging.  After a call around 2 p.m. we discovered that we were going to have to go to the station in which I usually work to conduct a tour.  After the tour we returned to the Haz-Mat station via a circuitous route.  It was while we were returning that we were called to a MVC involving a motorcycle and a car.  The initial report was that CPR was being performed on the motorcyclist.  We were not first on scene but we made the scene and supported the first in crews in their CPR efforts.  Sadly the cyclist was DRT (dead right there) and all resuscitation efforts were stopped.  Now, every FF will tell you they see lots of death.  I always find it a bit sad when someone who was enjoying the same sunny day as me suddenly, and before they could say "Oh No!", was now dead.  A great way to die but it sucks for your family and friends as no chance for goodbyes exists.  Guess it's one reason to keep short accounts!

   Later in the day we were called to a local AFH (Adult Family Home - the fireservice is chock full of acronyms!) to confirm a death.  When someone passes away outside the hospital we are called to confirm asystole (flat line - no heart action at all).  Then the Sherriff's officer has to come to do a basic investigation and then contact the medical examiner so the body can be realeased.  In this case, a sad one to boot, the deceased had been living in the AFH for some time.  No family, no relatives apparently alone in the world... he had been hospitalized with kidney failure and had begged the Dr. to be allowed to 'come home' to the AFH to die.  Someone paid to care for him would be the last person he would see in this world.  It was kind of the owner of the AFH to allow him back - a kindness not often seen - and it was a bit sad that he died without anyone to mourn him.

Glad to be home now for 5 days so I can go back again.  Now I will see live people...