(Photo) “Steve made a comment that without the calm voice and step-by-step instructions he received from Jessie, it would have been very difficult to manage the situation,” Miami Township Fire & EMS Chief Steve Kelly said when presenting Wettengel and Brooks with Citizen Lifesaver awards on June 21.
Miami Township, Ohio – When his friend Thomas Fairbanks collapsed after stepping out of a car at a home remodeling job in Miami Township on March 29, Steve Wettengel quickly called 911.
Clermont County 911 Center Dispatcher Jessie Bocks relayed CPR instructions to Wettengel, helping save his friend’s life.
“Steve made a comment that without the calm voice and step-by-step instructions he received from Jessie, it would have been very difficult to manage the situation,” Miami Township Fire & EMS Chief Steve Kelly said when presenting Wettengel and Brooks with Citizen Lifesaver awards on June 21.
Miami Township officers Kelsey Feverston and Daniel Stephan, along with Assistant Chief Daniel Mack from the township’s Fire & EMS, arrived at the same time. Feverston and Stephan grabbed their AED, while Mack brought a medical bag to the driveway where Wettengel was performing CPR on his friend. Medic 28 with Firefighter/Paramedics Mike Cooper and Jim Martin and Engine 29 with Lt. Jeff Moore and Firefighter Paramedics Jamie Williams and Michael Ramsey arrived about a minute behind with advanced life support equipment. Captain John Dold, who was running as District 26, arrived soon thereafter.
Officers Feverston and Stephan took over CPR while Assistant Chief Mack applied the police AED to Thomas. A shock was advised and Thomas was immediately defibrillated. After about a minute of CPR, a pulse was checked – and it was found that the AED had successfully converted Thomas back into a heart rhythm with a pulse. Thomas was then transported to Bethesda North Hospital and Advanced Life Support procedures were performed en route.
“Thanks to the performance of bystander CPR and the work of rescuers, including our communications center, police and fire and EMS personnel, Thomas is with us this evening,” Kelly said.
