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Volunteers Save Local Man from Heart Attack: It Takes a Community to Save a Life

September 13th, 2015

Filed under Community, Featured, Health & Wellness, Hotchkiss, News

Ambulance, NF vehicle-WEB

Volunteers Save Local Man from Heart Attack: It Takes a Community to Save a Life

By Thomas Wills

On a day in mid-July, Larry Hicks was at his job at Zack’s BBQ, a familiar figure for a quarter century to patrons of the popular local eatery. He was the guy slicing the smoked meats.  On this day, July 18, 2015, one moment he was tending to meat and the next he had collapsed to the floor suffering what was later determined to be a heart attack of the type that only about one and nine survive. But despite the bad luck of having such a heart attack, Hicks was very, very lucky, for among the lunchtime crowd were several medically trained volunteers that serve with the Hotchkiss Fire Department and North Fork Ambulance Association.

Upon seeing Hicks on the floor and knowing that it was a likely heart attack, Lionel Atwell was the first to come to his aid and begin to apply chest compression CPR. He was quickly joined by Caleb Schelle, Tyler Simpson (Hotchkiss Fire and an EMT with the NFAA) and Kayden Milstein.  Shortly thereafter, Hotchkiss Marshal’s Deputy – Gates Shaklee arrived with an auto extended defibrillation device (AED) something that all Hotchkiss officers carry on patrol.  The device was deployed on Hicks.

After about 20 minutes the ambulance and crew arrived and Deb Leger, Chris Brown, Sandy Leger and Marvin Gall added their efforts and expertise.  Hicks were then transported to the Delta County Memorial Hospital emergency room.   In all it is estimated the some 35 people contributed to Hicks’ treatment and survival. And that was just in Delta County.  Hicks, once stabilized, was rapidly transferred to a hospital in Grand Junction where more medical personnel added their expertise and efforts.

At an August 13 awards event, at Hotchkiss Town Hall, Hotchkiss Marshal Dan Miller who is also president of the board of the North Fork Ambulance Association, read from a letter written by a doctor who treated Hicks at the hospital.

“When you collapsed at your work,” the doctor wrote. “You were essentially dead.” The doctor noted that the quick application of CPR “probably saved your life.”  Besides other things this kept the blood moving to the brain, which prevented damage from lack of oxygen.  The doctor also credited the application of the AED device to possibly saving Hick’s life by returning the heart to a normal rhythm, however briefly.   Then, the ambulance crews applied equipment and techniques that supported the earlier positive measures.

It was noted that everyone one along the chain of treatment from first collapse to Hospital performed critical steps and Hicks may not have survived without.  It literally took a community of some 37 health care providers as well as the greater community that supported the Fire and Ambulance organizations in keeping them available to make the difference in this case.

The on-the-scene helpers were honored at the meeting and everyone involved was thanked.  Miller noted that how lucky the community is to have a number of people in the community that are trained to recognize a heart attack and know what to do.

All are urged to help support both organizations and particularly the Ambulance Association, which is currently facing financial challenges and is conducting future planning aimed towards keeping the organizations sustainable well into the future.  Info on becoming a member is available at www.nfaa.org.

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