First Aid Corps

An unusual reunion Thursday brought together a teenage boy and the East San Jose firefighters who saved him from cardiac arrest two weeks earlier.

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San Jose’s Omar Vasquez, 17, and about 20 family members visited Fire Station 2 in Alum Rock to thank the eight paramedics who used a defibrillator to shock his body and get him breathing again on Feb. 16.

Omar Vasquez the Survivor

Vasquez had collapsed while running track after school at James Lick High. With the fire station just 50 yards away, the firefighters inside heard cries for help, ran past several dozen bystanders and restored his breathing about two minutes after his heart stopped beating.

An ambulance response would have taken so long that Vasquez almost surely would have suffered brain damage — and perhaps not survived — but because the fire station was located within shouting distance, he wound up fine, firefighters said.

Firefighters said it was really unusual to actually meet one of the thousands of people they help, most of which are taken to the hospital and never heard from again. Firefighters Eric Lyle, Capt. Ed Dziuba, Jason Leach, Rich Anderson, Jeff Silva, Julian Molloy, Capt. Adam Cheney and Rob Cone all helped save Vasquez.

“It brings a lot of closure to the patient, and the family — and to the firefighters,” Capt. Mary Gutierrez said. “So this is very emotional for everyone here today.”

Just before 2:30 last Thursday afternoon, Eagle Point sophomore Daniel Hinkle ran up a ramp during PE class, then collapsed at the feet of Diana Swopes.

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Eagle Point Principal Allen Barber says “he had a siezure and collapsed right at her feet, so she held his hand and he squeezed back”.

Mother of Daniel Hinkle the Survivor with Saviours

While Swopes sent for help Saniel’s seizure stopped, but so did his heart.

The Principal says “He was actually not with us for 5 to 8 minutes.”

That sent a group of 4 into action, using the automated external defibrillator they worked to get Daniel breathing once again.

One of those 4, School Resource Officer Mike Anselmi says “it said ready for charge and then I actually had to shock him and it stablized his heart and we started doing compression…it was a relief after he took his first breathe.”

He was breathing, but wasn’t done fighting for his life. Daniel’s mother says “he was siezing for 5 hours straight, it wasn’t until a day and a half later before he came around and gained consciousness”

Daniel was released from a Portland hospital today, but couldn’t be there today as the story was retold.

But his mother was and it was her first opportunity to thank the 4 heroes who helped save her son’s life.

“As soon as I saw them I just wanted to touch them and hug them for saving my son’s life..” The tears flowed as all 4 were honored by the school district for what it called a near perfect response to the emergency.

Four Oldham County High School staff members have been recognized for saving a student’s life with an automatic external defibrillator.

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On Feb. 14, Cole Gibson, 16, was in journalism class when he went into cardiac arrest. Several staff members stepped in, and through CPR and four jolts from an automatic external defibrillator, Gibson’s heart started beating again, Capt. David Price, a paramedic with Oldham County EMS, told Oldham Fiscal Court members Tuesday.

Cole Gibson the Survivor

Cole was taken to the hospital and subsequently diagnosed with an irregular heart rhythm, and he underwent surgery to have a defibrillator implanted, said his mother, Jean Smith. He is now at home recuperating.

“It doesn’t just happen to the other guy,” she said at the Fiscal Court meeting. “And when it does happen to you or touches you … it’s nice to know there are people like this who have their act together.

“God definitely was conducting a choir of angels that day,” she added.

Rich Graviss, associate principal; Sherry Stone, the campus nurse; Joan Thompson, Cole’s teacher; and Stan Torzewski, the assistant principal; were given certificates at the meeting, lauding their actions.

The first few moments after a heart stops beating are critical, and most people do not survive such an incident, Price said.

“Because of swift actions … we have one student who became one of those lucky few,” he said.

After a close call late last year when a member of its staff suffered a heart attack, the Tongue Point Job Corps Center is now better equiped with two defibrillators for a faster response to emergencies.

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Tita Montero, business and community liaison at Tongue Point Job Corps Center, said it was a close call.

Mike Plum, Jason Linnett and John Larson the Saviours

The only defibrillator on campus was at the opposite side of the center. According to Mitchell, there were a few minutes before the machine reached the teacher to save his life.

Tongue Point honored the three staff members who participated in the rescue recently at a staff meeting, including a 70-year-old safety and security officer, who brought the automated external defibrillator (AED) and delivered the life-saving shock.

John Larson, a 44-year employee of Tongue Point, has been an employee of Tongue Point longer than any other current member of staff.

It was he who arrived with the machine, while Jason Linnett, a seamanship instructor, and Mike Plum, a safety and security officer, performed CPR.

“Mike started CPR, then Jason arrived and helped with the CPR while John came with with AED that we have and John led the effort with the AED.”

The machine is kept in a security vehicle. That vehicle happened to be at the other end of the 64-acre campus.

“The three staff members who participated in the resuscitation were given the unsung hero awards,” Montero explained, an award given through nominations by other staff.

Cardinal Valley Elementary School janitor Bill Ward was the first person to ever need the automatic external defibrillator or AED in a Fayette County School. He says his heart attack happened while working in the cafeteria on November 2, 2009 when he was 46 years old.

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“I felt like I had the flu or something,” Ward explained while describing that day.

“Didn’t have chest pain or anything. Just dropped while I was working in the cafeteria.”

Ward continued “They did CPR and couldn’t get anything And I was starting to change colors. The staff did a wonder taking care of me Making sure I’m still here.”

Ward, affectionately known as Mr. Bill around in the halls of the school, says his favorite job now is checking on the AED—making sure the battery always reads “ok.”

“Check it once a month,” he said while pointing out the battery.

School leaders say there’s one AED in every elementary and middle school, and three per high school. They were installed six years ago at a cost of $151,000.

Ward says they’re priceless.

“I think it’s a really wise investment,” he joked. “But if you need it, it’s a godsend.”