Nov. 24, 2016 – Kewaskum, WI – Washington County Deputies along with the Kewaskum Fire Department Rescue Squad and West Bend Fire Department Intercept were dispatched to Weasler Engineering on Oct. 19 at 10:28 p.m. for a reported cardiac event of an employee.
The incident was witnessed firsthand by a coworker. Within 1 minute and 47 seconds, the first deputy arrived and 53 seconds later the second deputy arrived.
CPR was immediately initiated by the deputies after observing agonal respirations (an abnormal pattern of breathing) and one deputy did not locate a pulse after checking a radial pulse point. Simultaneously, the other deputy began setting up an automated external defibrillator (AED) that is carried in all our patrol cars.
Deputies administered a total of six shocks to the 57-year-old Saint Cloud man during CPR. Patient care was subsequently turned over to members of the Kewaskum Fire Department Rescue Unit as well as West Bend Fire Department Intercept personnel.
These professionals are able to provide higher levels of patient intervention and care than the deputies. The patient was transported to St. Joseph’s Hospital and subsequently stabilized and taken to Froedtert Medical Center by Flight for Life. Our most recent contact with the family indicated the patient was doing well.
Oftentimes emergency personnel are referred to as First Responders as they continuously train and are dedicated to serving the community during some type of emergency. This particular incident illustrates how success is a team effort between citizens and First Responders.
It is an excellent example of a quick thinking citizen that called 911 to initiate life-saving intervention after a witnessed cardiac event. It highlights the skills of our dedicated communications officers to efficiently get assistance dispatched to the scene as quickly as possible. It also underscores the seamless teamwork between law enforcement and our professional EMS counterparts. Everyone involved with this call should be proud of the outcome.
The American Heart Association recognized the first responding deputies in the above case with Heart Saving Hero Awards. The deputies would probably dismiss it as “just doing their job”, but as an organization we are proud of everyone involved in the process. The Sheriff’s Office also highly encourages private citizens to seek out opportunities to be trained in CPR as it is a critical step in early intervention.
During this year, deputies responded to 18 different rescue calls where deputies hooked up the AEDs to patients. Six of those cases involved shocking the patients resulting in three saves during 2016; patients that were saved ranged in ages from 24 to 61.