SPRINGFIELD, NJ — At the Township Committee meeting on Feb. 28, Springfield Fire Department Chief Carlo Palumbo honored firefighters Sal Cocuzza, Daniel Royland, Tim Hydock and Joe Cowper with a CPR Recognition Award for their lifesaving efforts during a response to an emergency call from a Springfield resident.
“The patient was in cardiac arrest and stopped breathing,” Palumbo told LocalSource in a phone interview on Mar. 3. “It took six rounds of CPR, which was about 40 minutes, to regain her pulse. She’d been in rehab for several months to regain her skills. Her husband came with her to meet the guys and thanked them. He wrote a letter of appreciation and we will receive EMS medical distinction from the New Jersey Firemen’s Mutual Benevolent Association for an outstanding achievement on April 25. We performed CPR the old fashioned way without any machines, didn’t give up and did all the right things.”
Firefighters respond to medical calls frequently and are trained in CPR.
“We performed CPR until the woman started breathing and we felt a pulse,” Cocuzza told LocalSource in a recent phone interview on Mar. 4. “We respond to medical calls a lot. We gave 100 percent. The husband was home when it happened and wrote a letter to the town and we were recognized by the township committee and fire chief. It felt good to see her, her husband and daughter at the meeting and it was a positive outcome. We don’t always know what happens once the patient goes to the hospital.”
The firefighters work as a team to perform CPR and they were all happy to be recognized for their work.
“All the firefighters are CPR-certified their first year on the job,” Royland told LocalSource in a recent phone interview on Mar. 4. “We work well together as a team. We keep our composure to get the job done. We’re always happy when the outcome is positive. It’s nice to be recognized for a good job. I’m happy about it.”
The firefighters are looking forward to receiving the award in April.
“This award was given by the department,” Hydock told LocalSource in a phone interview on Mar. 4. “The award we’ll receive in April is a state award. All locals in New Jersey are eligible. It’s a Valor Award and only nine are given each year. I’m happy about it and that the outcome was a positive one.”
The firefighters work together every day and are trained to do their part.
“We’re together every shift,” Cowper told LocalSource in a phone interview on Mar. 4. “Everyone knows their place and we just go to work and get the job done.
We usually have five of us including the captain, but he was off that day. It definitely helps that we all know what we need to do and are able to work together to get things done in a timely manner. It’s great to have a good outcome.”