Safety & Health

NH Firefighter Thanks Colleagues for Saving Life

Sept. 18, 2020

When Manchester firefighter Craig Ferry suffered a heart attack during a call in May, his fellow firefighters, as well as AMR medics, made sure the veteran first responder pulled through.

Source The New Hampshire Union Leader, Manchester

Manchester, NH, Fire Chief Dan Goonan honored the firefighters in his department and the AMR paramedics who saved firefighter Craig Ferry, who suffered a heart attack during a call in May.

A Manchester firefighter who suffered a heart attack at a blaze last May had an emotional reunion this week with the first responders who saved his life.

Firefighters responded to 466 South Beech St. around 10:30 a.m. May 25 for reports of a fire at the 2½-story home. Manchester firefighter Craig Ferry, 53, was just inside the doorway when he collapsed, fire officials said.

“It’s such a matter of minutes in these situations,” Manchester Fire Chief Dan Goonan said last May. “If he had collapsed on the second floor, they may not have found him and started CPR as quickly as they did.”

When he was taken out of the building, “Ferry was not breathing, had no pulse and was blue,” American Medical Response officials said in a news release on Monday.

His firefighting gear was quickly removed, CPR was initiated, and he was placed in the ambulance. EKG pads were applied and showed ventricular fibrillation — a lethal heart rhythm.

Paramedics immediately began treating Ferry, who is in his 23rd year as a Manchester firefighter.

“The quick recognition that Craig was in distress combined with the immediate initiation of high-quality CPR along with the rapid defibrillation and medication administration were all critical factors that helped save his life,” AMR said in a news release.

At AMR Headquarters in Manchester on Monday, Ferry was able to publicly thank all the firefighters and emergency personnel who came to his aid.

On the rescue team: AMR Paramedic Supervisor Mary Woo; AMR Paramedic Jeff Brule; AMR Paramedic Anthony Maccarone; AMR Advanced EMT Melyssa Stokes; Manchester Fire Department District Chief Jim Michael; MFD Lt. Rich McLaughlin, Engine 9; MFD FF Kenny Wong, Engine 9; MFD Lt. Scott Brassard, Engine 3; MFD FF Dan Connell, Engine 3; MFD Lt. Brad Hood, Truck 7; MFD FF Adam Bouthiette, Truck 7; MFD FF T.J. Burkush, Rescue 1; MFD FF Sean Flanagan Rescue 1.

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Visit The New Hampshire Union Leader (Manchester, N.H.) at www.unionleader.com

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