Police, Fire, EMS successfully resuscitate 53-year-old resident

From left are Cranford Police Officers Nelson Hearns Jr., Joshua Sousa and Daniel Donnerstag; emergency medical technicians Zachary A. Kornberger and Travis Literate; and Cranford Firefighters Michael Kniazuk, James Polito and Doug Petchow.

CRANFORD, NJ — A medical call turned into a successful CPR life save after Cranford Police, Fire and Fire EMS responded to an Orchard Street home.

On Friday, April 1, at approximately 8:47 a.m., Police Officers Daniel Donnerstag and Joshua Sousa were dispatched to an Orchard Street address on the report of a 53-year-old male experiencing chest pains. On arrival, Donnerstag, a certified emergency medical technician and American Heart Association CPR instructor, recognized that the patient was taking agonal gasps. Donnerstag and Sousa immediately began to rescue breathe for the victim using a bag-valve mask. At this time, Police Officer Nelson Hearns Jr. arrived on scene and assisted in the effort. During this rescue effort, the patient lost consciousness and lost his pulse. It is at this point that the Cranford police units were joined by Cranford Fire Department emergency medical technicians Zachary A. Kornberger and Travis Literate, as well as Fire Inspector Doug Petchow, Firefighter James Polito and Firefighter Michael Kniazuk.

Hearns utilized his automated external defibrillator to determine whether the patient had a “shockable rhythm.” The AED indicated that a “shock was advised,” and subsequently one shock was administered by Hearns. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was immediately started by the team of police officers, firefighters and EMTs. After the team performed multiple cycles of CPR, the victim suddenly gasped for air and became conscious. Paramedics from Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Rahway arrived on scene and continued treatment of the patient. At this point, the patient was fully alert and holding a conversation with medical personnel. He was transported by Cranford Fire Department’s EMS to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 475,000 Americans die each year from cardiac arrest — with many of those medical events occurring outside the hospital environment. CPR in conjunction with the successful deployment of an AED can double or triple a patient’s survival rate in these settings.

Police Chief Ryan J. Greco praised the efforts of all first responders involved in this rescue effort. “First responders using their training and experience and acting as a team led to the successful saving of a Cranford resident’s life,” Greco said.

Photo Courtesy of Matthew R. Nazzaro