Firefighters reached crash site and learned the real reason driver was unconscious — it was a life-saving call
First responders are skilled in understanding and assessing situations. During emergencies, when things are chaotic and there’s much to assume, they are trained to figure out the root cause and provide astute action based on it. A team from the Socio Township Fire Department exercised this caution and vigilance when they received a call about a car crash, per The Sun Times News. While it was easy to presume that the crash was caused due to negligence or other factors, the firefighters paid close attention while assessing the situation and discovered that there was something more important to deal with. Their observation saved the driver’s life.
Socio Fire Department Chief Andrew Houde shared details of the mishap. He said that the team was “dispatched to a car accident where a vehicle crashed into a home on Dexter-Ann Arbor Road.” It was further mentioned that when the firefighters examined the situation closely, they realized that the accident was caused due to an underlying issue. “They immediately assessed the scene and determined that the crash was the result of a medical emergency and that the driver of the vehicle was in cardiac arrest,” Houde explained. Learning that the driver was in dire need of medical assistance, they worked together with the paramedics to help the driver.
According to Avive, cardiac arrest is a public health crisis. There are over 350,000 out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrests on an annual basis in the United States. Of these, 90% are fatal. According to the Austin Travis County EMS, cardiac arrests can be fatal if no action is taken quickly. “Early CPR or rapid defibrillation” is among the key actions to take immediately after a person goes into cardiac arrest to increase chances of survival. In such cases, every minute without defibrillation from an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) reduces survival chances by 7-10%. It has been mentioned that victims of cardiac arrest should receive defibrillation within the first 5 minutes to maintain survival chances.
Due to their timely observation and action, the man regained his pulse at the scene of the accident itself. He was immediately taken to the emergency room by the medics who took over. The man later recovered completely and was able to visit the station to thank the firefighters. If not for their keen observation, they wouldn’t have been able to understand the reason behind the crash and save the man’s life first. The Socio Township Fire Department commended the four first responders with a lifesaving award. A post about their achievement and their dedicated duty was shared on Facebook.
“This week we recognized Shift 2, including Captain Brian Koch, Lieutenant Glen Cobb and firefighters Brent Newsom and Mike Simpson, for their swift lifesaving action on a cardiac arrest,” the caption read. Sharing an important and eye-opening message, the caption concluded, “Rarely do firefighters get to meet or even know the outcome of the people they treat on-scene. But, on April 4th, Ron and his wife Lisa visited the station to meet and thank everyone involved in his incident, including 911 dispatch, Sheriff’s Department, EMS, and Fire Department personnel.”