2 Off-Duty Chesapeake Firefighters Credited for Saving a Life at Fitness Center

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Two off-duty Chesapeake fire fighters are being credited for saving the life of a 51 year old male who collapsed while running on a treadmill at Chesapeake Fitness Center.

***All parties to be recognized at an awards ceremony September 16th, 7PM, City Council Chambers, Chesapeake, Virginia***

On March 18, 2011, at around 08:30 in the morning, Mr. David Hoskins, a 51 year old male, collapsed while running on the treadmill at Onelife Fitness Center, located at 600 Jarman Rd. in Chesapeake.  A bystander witnessed the event and summoned help from DeDe Webster, an off-duty registered nurse at Chesapeake General Hospital, who was in the facility, working out and wearing an EMS T-shirt.  DeDe quickly called for help from two off-duty firefighters, Chesapeake Fire Department members FF/E Jeff Morales and EMT-B Connie Cyphers. The three providers then asked Fitness Trainer John Clarke to get the AED and call 911. They immediately began CPR after finding the male patient in cardiac arrest and quickly becoming cyanotic.  An AED, or automated external defibrillator, is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias of ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in a patient.

An AED is able to treat a patient through defibrillation, the application of electrical therapy which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.

Due to their quick actions and proper use of the AED, the victim was brought back to consciousness with a return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) and a strong pulse rate.  The Fire Department arrived on scene and transported the man to Chesapeake Regional Medical Center.  Upon arrival to the Emergency Room, Mr. Hoskins was sitting up and calmly telling everyone that he wanted to just go home.  He denied any further complaints and was very thankful to all who responded. 

"This is an awesome example of the benefits of having public AED programs with highly trained providers in the community who are never really 'off-duty.'  The Fire Department response was great, but we often just can't get to these patients who are in cardiac arrest fast enough to have these kinds of outcomes without the help from the public" said Chesapeake Fire Department EMS Supervisor Lt. Jeremy Miller.

All citizens are encouraged to learn CPR and how to operate an AED.  For more information on upcoming classes, visit the Red Cross website for a list of classes.



Author:Chesapeake Fire Department Press Release