Photo courtesy The Orange Leader
During a presentation on July 29, Acadian Texas honored Orange firefighters Terry Veitch, Greg Gravett, Hunter Isbell and Battalion Chief Payton Smith, along with Paramedic Field Supervisor Michael Cummings, Paramedic Nachol Cravens and EMT Grant Freeman with Meritorious Service Awards following a positive outcome on a call they responded to together.
Acadian’s crew was dispatched along with OFD to a patient having a seizure at a gas station. The patient was traveling from Louisiana to Texas as a hitchhiker.
“He looked like he was sleeping in the vehicle,” Michael said. “He was purple in the face and we started CPR right there on the concrete by the gas pump.”
Terry Veitch was with him. They agreed it was not the ideal situation or place, but they did what needed to be done to help the patient.
OFD Chief Payton Smith arrived on scene and advised that CPR had been started. Smith was doing compressions on the pavement. Acadian’s crew defibrillated 4 times and got pulses back before intubating and transporting the patient to the ED. Cravens and Freeman checked on the patient a few days later and the patient was extubated, conscious and alert with no deficits and with a planned discharge home.
“We want to recognize the firefighters involved,” Operations Manager Eddie Burleigh said. “Thank you for the assistance you give.”
NEWS COVERAGE
