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07/18/2022
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital recently presented five members of Dover Fire & Rescue with American Heart Association Heartsaver Hero awards for delivering life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) to a man in cardiac arrest during an emergency call in early May.
Brian Nicholson, EMS manager at Wentworth Douglass Hospital, nominated the five firefighters/paramedics because he said their response made it possible for hospital staff to successfully treat the patient.
“Without their advanced level of care, this patient would not have walked out of the hospital,” Nicholson said.
The firefighter/EMTs who received the Heartsaver Hero awards were:
· Lt. Eric Anderson
· Firefighter/paramedic Michael Kilday
· Firefighter/paramedic Stephen Thunstrom
· Firefighter/AEMT Jared Bouchard
· Firefighter/AEMT William Carey
Nicholson said this medical event is a great example of how a chain of care can save a person’s life.
The patient was a runner who collapsed. Good Samaritans called an ambulance and the responding firefighters and paramedics delivered life-saving CPR during a two-mile ride to the hospital. Once at Wentworth-Douglass, the patient received treatment from the hospital’s emergency, cardiac, and critical care teams.
“All the right steps were put into place and it was a great team effort,” Nicholson said.
Representatives from the cardiac and emergency teams came out to the award presentation to show their appreciation.
“We can’t do what we do without you all,” Jordan Levesque, cardiovascular operations manager at Wentworth-Douglass, told the paramedics.
Dover Fire Chief Michael McShane said that he has always appreciated the strong partnership and mutual respect that his department has with Wentworth-Douglass, and he was proud of his team’s effort.
“It’s very meaningful for me to see them get this recognition,” McShane said.
In addition to award certificates, the firefighters/paramedics received heart pins from the American Heart Association.