Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

WINTON – Valentine’s Day is traditionally celebrated with bright red hearts.

A local woman perhaps doesn’t remember a lot about that recent celebration, but she can thank her husband and emergency responders representing several Hertford County agencies for making sure her heart continues to beat.

At last week’s meeting of the Hertford County Board of Commissioners, James Broglin, the county’s EMS Director, praised the efforts of two E-911 dispatchers, four EMTs, and a trio of Sheriff’s deputies who saved the life of a woman.

“The American Heart Association references a ‘good save’ as one that includes early recognition of a cardiac event, early notification to E-911, and early ALS (Advanced Life Support) measures such as CPR/chest compressions,” Broglin stated. “All of those things came together on Feb. 14.”

Broglin said Hertford County E-911 received a call around 6:30 that morning from a man in the Como area reporting a medical emergency.

“He had went to check on his wife and found her unresponsive, not breathing and had no pulse,” Broglin stated. “The E-911 Dispatcher taking that call was able to calm the man down and give him directions on how to perform CPR. The man was able to follow those directions.”

In the meantime, Broglin said the two dispatchers on duty notified emergency responders – Hertford County EMS and the Hertford County Sheriff’s Office.

“Upon the arrival of EMS units, the man was still performing CPR on his wife,” Broglin noted. “They took over at that point and administered ALS measures. The Sheriff’s deputies arrived to assist, to include moving equipment and keeping the man and the couple’s six-year-old child calm as the EMS crew carried out their emergency response protocol.”

Broglin said when he arrived on the scene approximately five minutes later, the patient was connected to a cardiac monitor and their heartbeat and breathing was restored.

Minutes later, the patient was placed into the ambulance and rushed to ECU Health Roanoke-Chowan Hospital. By 10 am, she was airlifted to ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville.

“By Friday of that week, the patient was alert and oriented,” Broglin said.

“The personnel of all three of these agencies who worked that particular call are to be commended for saving a life,” he continued. “For one minute that passes without something being done in the event of a heart attack, we lose 10 percent of survival. After 10 minutes with nothing done, there’s a 100 percent chance of that person not surviving. That didn’t happen in this case as our emergency responders used their training and skill to save a life that day.”

Broglin awarded lifesaving pins to E-911 Dispatchers N. Fennell and L. Morris, Hertford County Sheriff’s deputies Carleigh Wildeboer, Kendall Swain, and Brian McNair, and Hertford County EMTs David Tadlock, Jacob Powell, Katherine Williams, and Keasia Combo.

“This is all about teamwork,” Broglin stressed, as he not only signaled out the work of the emergency responders, but also thanked the county commissioners for their financial support to hire staff and purchase vehicles, equipment, and supplies.