Station 28 Saves a Cardiac Arrest Patient
7 February 2010 - One of the most significant calls during the blizzard period was saving a cardiac arrest patient in the Waugh Chapel area. Fire Department activity in the county was extremely high. At the time the 911 call was placed, Waugh Chapel units were committed to other incidents. Odenton's Engine 282 and Ambulance 289 were dispatched as the next closest units to a report of a man with trouble breathing.
The closest available paramedic unit was from Woodland Beach, which later became disabled and was replaced by Waugh Chapel's Paramedic 5 after it cleared its earlier call. Due to the road conditions, Station 28 units had an extended response time of over 20 minutes. Fortunately, the residents of the community had been very busy clearing their own streets, which allowed 282 and 289 to get within a couple blocks of the address. However, 289 did get stuck and the neighbors worked feverously and freed the unit.
Soon after the crew reached the patient and began assessing his condition, he went unconscious and then into full cardiac arrest. The crew began immediate resuscitation. The neighbors assisted in running the necessary additional equipment from 289 to the patient's house. One shock was delivered from the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and the patient regained a pulse and spontaneous respirations.
Soon after, the patient was conscious and questioning what had happened to him. The neighbors continued to assist by helping to carry the patient to the back of an awaiting SUV for transport to Ambulance 289 at the end of the court. The crew from Paramedic 5 then took over care of the patient who was transported to the hospital in 289. Without the vital assistance of the neighborhood, this miraculous save may not have occurred!
