Fort Lauderdale firefighters credit early bystander CPR for saving man’s life
Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews visited with a man at the hospital just days after trans-sporting him as a cardiac arrest patient. The patient, Mr. Howard, was awake and greeted the crews with a smile. Just two days before that, firefighter paramedics from Firehouse 49 responded to a cardiac arrest on the 20th floor of the Hyatt Regency Pier 66. Upon arrival, firefighters found the man un-conscious in his room with his girlfriend performing what they called “excellent” CPR.
Paramedics used their defibrillator to shock the patient several times and shortly after that, he regained a pulse in the rescue truck on the way to the hospital. EMS Chief Dan Oatmeyer stressed how important it is to learn CPR. “Rarely do we regain a pulse on a patient that is in cardiac arrest if there is not CPR in progress. Mr. Howard’s friend’s knowledge of CPR saved his life. Everyone should take the time to learn CPR.”
Currently, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue conducts training for City employees and high school students. The class, “Hands only CPR,” takes about a half an hour to teach the basics of the lifesaving technique. Anyone interested in scheduling a class can contact Freddy Zelaya at (954) 828-6702.
