A quick bystander response and a quick response time by Trumbull EMTs saved the life of a person whose heart had stopped recently.
Trumbull EMS Executive Director Joseph Laucella handed out pins and certificates to the EMTS who attended the award ceremony recently at EMS Headquarters.
All told, the honorees were: Anthony DeSimone, paramedic; and EMTs Matthew Barksdale, Chris Calkins, Paul Wasserman, Michael Szymanski and Michael Sereno.
Laucella said a bystander began hands-only CPR on the victim until EMTs arrived and used an AED to shock the patient's heart. The victim's pulse was restored and care was rendered at an area hospital.
"This was a great example of how a chain of survival works," Laucella said. The chain begins with quick reaction by bystanders carried on by EMTs and then hospitals.
"When people get involved it gives people a better chance of survival," he added.
Bystander compressions work because there is usually enough oxygen left in the blood for the next four to six minutes. When the chest is compressed, the blood is circulated throughout the vital organs, Laucella said.
"We wish we would have more cardiac arrest saves," Laucella added.
He told the EMTs who were present for the awards to "please wear this with pride."
"Thanks for being on our team," the director said.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
