Dec 14, 2004
At MEDIC FIRST AID, we're committed to producing the finest lifesaving courses possible. We know that at the end of the training day, lives hang in the balance. Many students who attend our classes are proof of this. Here are a few of the Good Samaritan stories that we received in 2004.
Ron Cassidy
Ron Cassidy was at work with the Glenview Park District in Glenview, Illinois when one of his workers began to choke on a lunchtime sandwich. Ron noticed that the employee was unable to take a breath and performed abdominal thrusts until the sandwich was dislodged from the airway and the worker began breathing again.
Ron was honored at the District's Annual Safety Committee Christmas Brunch earlier this month for his heroics. He's shown above (at right) accepting his award from MEDIC FIRST AID Instructor Tom Kolk.
Dave Luttrell
Dave Luttrell works for the Oregon Department of Forestry. With the help of several other Forest Service workers, he rescued two firefighters who were overcome by propane gas inhalation while sleeping in a tent with a portable propane heater. The propane heater was providing heat until the flame went out and propane fumes filled the tent.
At approximately 3 a.m., one of the stricken firefighters managed to call out to Luttrell indicating serious breathing problems for the two men. The other firefighter was unconscious in the tent. After Luttrell safely removed the poisoned men from the tent into fresh air and found other forest workers to watch them, he activated EMS and led responding paramedics to the accident scene.
Craig Burr and Scott Vessey were able to provide first aid until paramedics arrived. Both poisoned men recovered.
Walter Dudich
Walter Dudich is a Certified Personal Trainer at California Family Fitness in Sacramento. Walter provided cardiopulmonary resuscitation to a patient who went into sudden cardiac arrest while using a treadmill in the club.
Due to the actions of Walter and other trained providers along with responding EMS personnel, the patient was successfully resuscitated and transferred to the hospital for further care.
At MEDIC FIRST AID, we're proud of these people and proud that we were able to play a part in their ability to save a life. It really makes what we do worthwhile.
