Erie County Chiefs EMS Provider of the
Year
March 25
Cheektowaga NY
Four North Boston
Firefighters were recognized on March 25, 2006 at the Erie County Fire Chief’s
Mutual Aid Organization Installation Banquet. Rodney Carr, Robin Mead, Chief
Sean Crotty and 1
st
Asst. Chief Dave Bernas
were honored as EMS Providers of the Year.
On October 31, 2005 North Boston
Firefighter James Carr was watching television with his wife, Joyce, when he
suffered a cardiac arrest. Joyce immediately called 911. Rodney and Robin heard
the call dispatched and went running to their father’s aid. Both are trained in
first aid and CPR. They recognized their father was in cardiac arrest and began
CPR. Less than a minute later 1
st
Assistant Chief Dave Bernas arrived on location with an AED and placed it on
Jim. He was shocked twice. Chief Sean Crotty (who is also a paramedic with the
Boston Emergency Squad) intubated and administered medications. A third shock
was given. Jim now had a pulse with limited respiratory effort. Emergency
medical personnel from the Boston Emergency Squad arrived on location with
additional advanced life support equipment. Chief Crotty and Boston EMS
personnel transported Jim to South Buffalo Mercy Hospital where he was admitted
to the CCU. After bypass surgery, Jim was discharged home on November 9. Without
the Carr family’s quick response, from phoning 911 immediately to knowing CPR,
Jim would not be here today.
At left
is James Carr with his family
rescuers and Fire Company members that assisted him when Jim went into
Sudden Cardiac Arrest on Halloween Night.
Left to right is:
Jim Carr, Daughter Robin Mead, Father Joe Bayne, Wife Joyce, Chief Sean
Crotty, Son Rodney, First Asst. Chief David Bernas.
At Right is the award recipients
with Erie County Emergency Services
Chaplain Father Joe Bayne. From left: Chief Sean Crotty, Firefighter Robin Mead,
Father Joe Bayne, Firefighter Rodney Carr, First Asst. Chief Dave Bernas
Excellence Through
Teamwork Award
March 27
Cheektowaga NY
The crew from the recognition above, also will receive The Firefighter
Newspaper's Excellence Through Teamwork award at the Erie County Fair August
11th 2006. Below is the excerpt from the Spring 2006 Firefighter News
Paper.
EXCELLENCE THROUGH TEAMWORK
Help is never far
away
(Editor’s note: The Fire Fighter Newspaper presents its Excellence
Through
Teamwork Award for Fall 2005 to the North Boston Fire Department and the Boston
Emergency Squad. The award will be presented at the 2006 Erie County Fair.)
North Boston firefighter and past chief James Carr was watching Monday Night
Football on Oct. 31 with his wife, Joyce, when he suffered a cardiac arrest.
Joyce immediately called 911.
The Carr's happen to live next to the fire hall where Jim has been a member for
the past 39 years. Two of their children, Robin and Rodney, are both members of
the fire company and Robin is a member of the Boston Emergency Squad. Both
reside in close proximity to their parents’ home.
When they heard the call dispatched they went running to their father's aid.
Both are trained in first aid and CPR. They recognized their father was in
cardiac arrest and began CPR.
Less than a minute later Assistant Chief David Bernas arrived on location with
an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and placed it on Jim. He was shocked
twice.
Chief Sean Crotty intubated, administered medications, and a third shock was
given. Jim now had pulses with limited respiratory effort. Emergency medical
personnel from the Boston Emergency Squad
arrived on location with their advanced life support equipment.
Jim was transported to South Buffalo Mercy Hospital by Boston EMS Paramedics
where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. He was eventually extubated
and underwent angioplasty.
On Nov. 9, Jim was discharged from the hospital. Without the Carr family's quick
response, most notably their two children Robin Mead and Rodney Carr, he would
not be alive today.
Also a key to this story is the quick response of an AED and advanced life
support which increased the chances of survival. The Boston Emergency Squad and
the North Boston Fire Company, along with the American Heart Association,
recognized the following members for making a difference: Robin Mead, Rodney
Carr, Sean Crotty, David Bernas, David Measer, Joseph Wells, Christopher Muraco,
Donald O'Bryant, Jackie Koch, Jack Braun and Michael Frank.
In addition, the American Heart Association is making a financial donation to
the Boston Emergency Squad toward the purchase of an additional AED to be placed
in their response vehicles to help decrease the amount of time it takes to have
an AED in place on a victim suffering from cardiac arrest.
The North Boston Fire Company’s fleet of six vehicles, as well as their Fire
Station, is fully equipped with AEDs.
Jim continues, like he has for years, to be in the Top 10 responders for the
North Boston Fire Company. He has earned Firefighter of the Year multiple times,
as well receiving the North Boston Fire Company Outstanding Service Award, Erie
County Chiefs Mutual Aid Organization Fire Service Award, and Town of Boston
Citizen of the year in 2004.
