Photo By Staff Sgt. Phillip Tross | Maj. Gen. Brian J. Mennes, commanding general of 10th Mountain Division & Fort Drum,...... read more read more
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What was believed to be a routine call, quickly became a race against time for members of the
Fort Drum Fire Department, and 511th Military Police Company, on the night of
October 25th, 2019.
On October 25th, Fire Station Two, and the 511th MP Company responded to an emergency medical service call of an unresponsive and unconscious spouse of a Fort Drum Soldier at a base park.
“We were expecting the fire department to already be on the scene but we were first,” said
Spc. Joel Boulden. “We saw a female face down in the dirt, unconscious, and surrounded by spectators. When asked if she could respond to our commands, she could not.”
As they waited for the fire department to arrive, Boulden and his NCO, while bracing her spine, rolled her over, and realized she was blue and purple in color, indicating she wasn’t receiving oxygen.
“At that moment we knew we needed to conduct CPR,” said Boulden.
After four cycles of CPR and chest compressions, a team from Fire Station two arrived and began chest compressions with their automated, external, defibrillators. The spouse was administered two shocks with the AED. The second shock restarted her heart and gave her a consistent pulse.
“We get the unconscious, unresponsive quite a bit,” said Jeremy O’Neill, lieutenant, and lead firefighter. “Normally it’s not as bad as what we encountered. Thankfully the military police were on scene conducting CPR.”
Once stable, the MPs and firefighters moved her into an ambulance, notified her husband, and made sure her kids were safe.
“It’s extremely important for as many people as possible to learn CPR and other life-saving measures,” said Boulden. “I believe the spectators could’ve taken measures before we arrived, or at least moved her into a more advantageous position. The community needs to be more aware of the simple and easy steps to do in an emergency.”
| Date Taken: | 11.21.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 11.21.2019 17:21 |
| Story ID: | 352866 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 2,004 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
This work, Soldiers and firefighters save life on Fort Drum, by SSG Phillip Tross, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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