EMFD saves a life

On Feb. 16, a Levittown resident went to East Meadow’s Fire Station 3 on North Newbridge Road in desperate need for help. After a few knocks on the door, the person had fallen to the ground, an apparent victim of a heart attack.

Seconds later, former Capt. John Schreiner Sr., of Ladder Company 2, found the person and immediately called East Meadow Dispatch for help. With EMFD pagers now announcing the call for Rescues 4, 5, and Advanced Life Support fly car 6199, the emergency medical services system was in motion.

Within three minutes of the call, unit 6199, manned by Paramedic Robert Salvesen Sr., who lives just blocks away, arrived on the scene and was followed by Chief Carl L. Pugliese. Returning home from his job as a paramedic, East Meadow volunteer Jon Haber was in the area, heard the call and responded as well. 

The patient was quickly assessed and found to be in full cardiac arrest with no pulse and not breathing. As more firefighters arrived on the scene, efforts to save a life intensified. In the minutes that followed, the patient was defibrillated several times without success as quality CPR continued in between shocks.

Within five minutes of the alarm, both ambulances 615 and 6144 arrived on the scene. By now, paramedics Salvesen Sr. and Haber were establishing a successful airway and continuing their advanced life saving techniques.

With initial medications administered, unit 615 transported the patient to Nassau University Medical Center as several of East Meadow’s best worked feverishly to coordinate with doctors on a two-way radio at Medical Control who monitored, consulted and approved further advanced life support heart medications.

Just prior to 615 arriving at the medical center, the efforts of all rescuers would be rewarded as the patient’s heart started to beat.

At the hospital, emergency room staff assembled and prepared for the quick arrival of Rescue 5.  The hope of saving a life was now placed in the competent hands of emergency room professionals. Doctors continued the fight as they made additional life-saving decisions to improve the patient’s condition, prevent further deterioration and develop a plan to correct the cause of the sudden illness.

Once the patient was stable enough to transport, he was moved to North Shore Manhasset Hospital for immediate cardiac procedures, where the patient is gradually improving with future expected treatment.

In all, 21 East Meadow volunteers, many of them EMTs, as well as higher levels of Advanced Life Support members, responded to the emergency.

As word filtered throughout the department, handshakes and congratulations were abound for another job well done.

The EMS system of the EMFD has been known for years as having one of the best all-volunteer EMS systems on Long Island. More recently, the members of EMFD EMS have accounted for an unusual amount of life saving awards. 

Our hats are off to medics Salvesen Sr. and Haber, Rescues 4 and 5, and all other East Meadow volunteers who responded to this alarm, many from companies not assigned to the alarm, but who were in the area and knew they could help.