Members of the West Babylon Volunteer Fire Department were able to visit a firefighter outside his house, a day after his release from hospital. He had suffered a cardiac arrest on scene. “We are grateful for our members who executed their training and leadership to 100% perfection, so that we could enjoy this touching moment today.” Photo by West Babylon Volunteer Fire Department
Last week, while riding my bike around my neighborhood, I passed by a member of the local volunteer fire department and waved hello. We’ve known each other for many years. He’s a lifelong member of the volunteer fire service, as are several members of his family. That’s how it often is in volunteer fire departments – service runs deep, across generations.
He was mowing his lawn.
It was an ordinary summer weekday on Long Island.
But the fact he was out there mowing his lawn that day is anything but ordinary.
A Call That Changed Everything
On Thanksgiving Day in 2022, this firefighter – then serving as captain of his company – responded to an oven fire. A typical call, especially on a holiday when nearly every household is cooking. Just past noon, the alarm sounded, and he responded as he had countless times before.
But this call would be different.
During operations, he suffered a cardiac arrest. Thanks to the swift actions of the firefighters and paramedics on scene, he was successfully resuscitated and was alert and conscious by the time he arrived at the hospital. Remarkably, he only spent just over a week in the hospital before returning home.
As I continued my bike ride that day, I reflected on the extraordinary ecosystem that made his survival possible – from the quick-thinking firefighters and skilled EMS providers, to the doctors and nurses working on a holiday. I thought about the intense physical and emotional stress that fireground operations place on the human body. And I thought about the importance of regular medical checkups, annual physicals, and physical fitness in this line of work.
Protecting Ourselves as Much as We Protect Others
Cardiac events and cancer remain the leading causes of death among firefighters, more than burns, more than trauma. And while we train to protect the public, it’s equally important to protect ourselves. Having medically trained personnel on the scene is essential – not only for the civilians we serve, but for us, as well.
I also thought about the survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, and how witnessed arrests – especially those treated immediately – offer the best chances for survival. I wrote my master’s thesis on this very topic. I know firsthand how rare a successful outcome like his can be. But on that Thanksgiving Day, the right people were in the right place, and they did the right things.
Training matters.
Staffing matters, including medically qualified personnel.
Annual physicals matter.
Physical fitness matters.
Because even when we do everything right, the stress of the job can still win. Let’s do everything we can to keep the odds in our favor.
I look forward to seeing him mowing his lawn again this summer.
