Location of Event – Watercraft accident, Frog Mortar Creek, Baltimore County, MD
The following is a memo from Chief Shane K. Pule Sr. to fire department personnel
It is my request that all parties involved receive appreciation for their roles in the successful save of Vincent Stephen Taylor on May 18, 2017. The civilians were the first link in the chain of survival giving (non-trained) hands-only CPR, followed by professional rescuer CPR and AED by Baltimore County Police Department, and ending with fire department emergency medical services intervention and transport.
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Taylor at his home on May 30, 2017. He is a retired (2011) Probation Supervisor from the Department of Juvenile Services and working currently with the Anne Arundel County Schools and Courts in a Community Conferencing – juvenile intervention program. His saving of young lives was returned to him by the chain of rescuers, for without it he surely would have perished.
Attached you will see the latest literature on out-of-hospital survival and dispatcher-assisted CPR. Ro et. al., places the survival rate well within the 30% WITH dispatch and 14% WITHOUT. Geri et. al., found that 18% of patients were discharged alive with 12% still alive at year 5.
While this may be a segment of our bread-and-butter role as EMS providers, there has to be a beacon that shines through and stands out among the rest.
This traumatic event that cascaded into a survival should meet this requirement. It reminds the public and responders of the humanity that these civilians have towards their fellow human – the will and desire to intervene and save a life of another they do not know.
We are rescuers, too, and should be commended for the save and rejuvenated by this praise – so as to recharge and keep moving forward with the knowledge that our endeavors – in concert with the public, to help save lives.
All of this brings great credit on MRVFR, the Fire and Police Departments, and Baltimore County.
Without the awareness to their surroundings, quick thinking and fast actions of Mr. Weis, Mr. Crist, Mr. Carey, Mr. Sammons, and Mr. Shinsky – Mr. Taylor would not be alive today.
Nominated by Shane K. Pule Sr., Chief, Middle River Volunteer & Fire Rescue Co. (74)