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Uploaded: Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 2:57 PM
Off duty San Ramon firefighter saves jogger's life
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An off duty firefighter/paramedic from the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District performed CPR on a collapsed jogger in a remote section of Anthony Chabot Regional Park in the Oakland Hills on Saturday, Oct. 10, and is credited with saving his life.
A "man down" call came into the dispatch center of the East Bay Regional Park District, and Officer Kevin Iacavoni piloted a Park District helicopter to land within seven minutes, with Jared Apperson, a member of the Volunteer Flight Medic Program.
Apperson found a well-known senior marathon runner collapsed and in cardiac arrest. Brian Medley, the off-duty firefighter who also had been running at the park, was performing CPR.
The victim's heart went from ventricular fibrillation (pulsing without pumping ) to tachycardia rhythm (too fast of a heart rhythm) at least twice, according to CPR test strips.
Over the course of a 28-minute period, Medley and Apperson provided CPR and at least two shocks from a defibrillator and restored the heart beat. Their efforts saved the victim from a catastrophic cardiac arrest, according to reports. He was stabilized and transported to Eden Hospital for further life support treatment.
The patient's family said that he is talking, joking and laughing although he has some way to go to a full recovery, reported Fire Capt. Andy Swartzell, EMS coordinator with the San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District.
"We're very proud of Firefighter Medley," said Swartzell. "It was a great example of teamwork and determination that made this resuscitation a successful one."
"It is the availability of skilled volunteers and the dedication of people like Jared which more than justify the volunteer flight medic program's very existence and supports an ongoing need to recruit and hire qualified individuals who are willing to give their time and skills for our Park community," said East Bay Regional Park District Officer Doug Jackley, who is a pilot and the flight medic coordinator for the District.
Medley will be presented with a Life Saving Award at the Nov. 18 Fire District board meeting, which will recognize several cardiac arrest saves.— staff reports Are you receiving Express, our free daily e-mail edition? See a sample and sign-up for Express.
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Posted by Greg, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 9:41 am Julia......what are your thoughts on this. You probably think there is no reason to give credit to this firefighter. Im sure you feel he was just doing his job !!!!!
How do you live with yourself?
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Posted by Louise, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 10:08 am LOL Greg, so true, I was thinking of making the same comment to Julia, but was beaten to it! A big thank you to Medley, and ALL of our community heroes!
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Posted by Bainter the Painter, a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 12:01 pm I paint houses for a living. I learned cpr because I think that everyone should know how to do cpr. Anyone who knows cpr would have done what the fire man did. I saved a man with cpr 20 years ago. There was no headline line "off-duty house painter saves man's life." If a off duty fire man or a dog saved a life, that would be in the paper. That's ok.
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Posted by Dolores Ciardelli, editor of Danville Express, on Oct 28, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Dolores Ciardelli is a member (registered user) of Danville Express Dear Bainter,
We'd be happy to write about a house painter saving a life. Although, I admit, a dog saving a life is a better story.
Also, come to think of it, it would be a story if an off-duty house painter painted a house (besides his own). The off-duty firefighter got the story because his organization sent us the information. So keep in touch!
Dolores
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Posted by Diane, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 3:39 pm Dolores, I just love your comments!
Painter, a good reminder that we should all keep up with our CPR certifications. I'll take that message from your post and leave the sour grapes behind.
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Posted by Bainter the Painter, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Oct 28, 2009 at 8:07 pm I did paint a house when I was off duty. The house was brown and I thought it should be green. The owner was surprised that I painted his house because he didn't ask me to. He did not like the color I used. He was not happy. I will not do that again.
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Posted by Guy, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Oct 29, 2009 at 6:37 pm Mr. Bainter, may I suggest that had you used a more neutral color perhaps trouble with the homeowner may have been averted. Most people like neutral colors, or at least feel "neutral" about them (no pun intended).
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Posted by Truman, a resident of the Diablo neighborhood, on Oct 30, 2009 at 1:27 am Yes, beige always works well. And, the next time you save someone with CPR, Mr. Bainter, be sure to send a press release to the Danville Weekly. Apparently that's what our paid public servants do. No harm in blowing one's own horn, it seems, especially when one or one's organization is on the public dole.
p.s. Did you know that a firefighter/EMT in the city addresses as many calls in a typical day as our entire district gets? Hmmmm...
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Posted by Jake, a member of the Stone Valley Middle School community, on Oct 30, 2009 at 6:23 am Truman (Wolske) is missing the bigger message here – CPR Saves Lives. A man who would be dead now is alive and well because someone, in the right place at the right time, was trained in CPR. The FD is not promoting one of their own – they are promoting the message. Learn CPR and maybe you’ll be able to save the life of a family member, a friend, or even a complete stranger. Maybe someone who knows CPR will save your life one day. Get over your petty beef with the FD and be a better citizen. The District offers CPR classes on a regular basis. It would be a much better use of your time at the District. Web Link
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Posted by Danville Mom, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Oct 30, 2009 at 8:31 am Dear All,
While I appreciate reading stories of note in the Danville Express (I admit that I do miss the "paper variety") as well as the opportunity to comment on such articles; I do not appreciate the albeit (usually) friendly banter that goes back and forth on such unrelated subjects such as what color one should paint a house.
Please, folks, let's stay on task and save the useless banter for Facebook. Thank you.
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Posted by Danville Dad, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Oct 30, 2009 at 9:40 am I respectfully disagree with Danville Mom. I enjoy discussing paint color, or at least listening in on discussions about paint. What's for dinner, Mom?
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Posted by Danville Mom, a member of the Vista Grande Elementary School community, on Oct 30, 2009 at 10:37 am LOL, what's your Facebook page Danville Dad??
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Posted by Zack, a resident of the Danville neighborhood, on Oct 31, 2009 at 8:56 pm Can anyone tell me when I need to use a primer? I'm painting the exterior of my house, and I've heard that it's best to primer the surface before painting. Is this always true?
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Posted by Scruffy, a resident of another community, on Nov 2, 2009 at 10:34 am Zack-primer is not always needed. There is no substitute for good surface prep. If the undersurface is resinous wood and knotty, a good primer coat before painting might be a good idea. Good luck!
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Posted by Bob, a resident of the Alamo neighborhood, on Nov 4, 2009 at 8:03 pm I'm planning on bar-b-queing a brisket. Can any of you firefighters (the ones from SRVFPD) suggest a good dry rub and the best cooking conditions? I understand that you guys are experts.
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