Sacramento Fire Department Gets Major Award From American Heart Association
SACRAMENTO(CBS13) – The city fire department received a major award from the American Heart Association for its efforts to save lives.
"Because they were so quick getting me to the hospital, I'm almost back to normal now just three months later and that's pretty unheard of," said Devin Blankenship of Sacramento.
By appearances, it's like nothing ever happened, but three months ago Blankenship had a heart attack and nearly died at 41-years-old.
"I actually had what they call a massive widow maker heart attack at the hospital, which is very rare which happens in random places and a lot of people don't make it," Blankenship said.
First responders got the 911 call and told Blankenship he needed to go to the hospital.
"Halfway to the hospital he went unresponsive," said Brandon Budd, one of Sacramento City's firefighter paramedics on scene.
"They call it the widow maker because if you don't catch it in time it has an 80 to 90 percent mortality rate," Budd said.
Blankenship was playing basketball. Afterward, when he went home, he was not feeling well and his hands began to tingle along with chest pain.
"It wasn't a jarring pain, it was just something was off," Blankenship said.
The paramedic said the 911 call was crucial.
"Doctors ended up telling me if I would've waited five minutes I would've passed away," Blankenship said.
The paramedics hooked their patient up to an EKG machine and the data prints out and is then directly transmitted to a nearby hospital.
"Without the 12 lead or the ability to wirelessly transmit, we wouldn't be able to achieve that award," said Sac Fire Deputy Chief Chad Augustin.
The deputy chief says stories like this are the very reason the department received the American Heart Association's Lifeline EMS Gold Award.
"If you have a heart attack in Sacramento and these guys show up, you're going to get the best of care," said a representative at the Sac City Council meeting Tuesday night.
"It's all about us being timely, recognizing someone is having a heart attack," Augustin said.
That's exactly what these firefighters did that day and helped save Blankenship's life.
"The amazing thing is this is just another day the job that they do, but for my family it was everything, so these guys, I will always be grateful for them," he said.
This award is an achievement only a few dozen departments have been awarded.
Firefighters warned that if you're having heart attack symptoms, especially if you're over 40, don't wait to call them.