The survival rate of someone who suffers a cardiac arrest is very slim. It's less than 10 percent, according to Scott Johnson, manager of North Memorial Ambulance Service in Alexandria.
On Nov. 1, 2015, a 911 call came in to the Douglas County Dispatch Center about a man who was in cardiac arrest. "He was clinically deceased," said Johnson.
But the man, who lives on Algonquin Trail east of Garfield, survived. He beat the odds. (Because of medical data privacy laws, the man's name could not be provided.)
And according to Johnson, it is because of life-saving techniques provided by emergency personnel who responded to the scene.
"It's because of their training and dedication that this man is alive today," Johnson stated.
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At the Aug. 8 Garfield City Council meeting, Johnson presented the North Memorial Ambulance Service "Life Saving Award" to 11 emergency personnel. The emergency personnel included five Garfield firefighters, Craig Sholts, John Wussow, Jed Tatro, Jason Uhde and Scott Allyn; four Garfield first responders, Ardie Piper, Gaye Mounsdon, Jeff Way and Ben Summer; and two EMTs, Katelyn Harren and Bill Thoennes.
John Nienaber, Garfield mayor, also thanked those involved and said, "You don't get to hear these success stories very often. Thank you."
