On February 16th the C-shift at Station 23 in St. Pete Beach provided life-saving assistance to a resident who had the wherewithal to seek help at the station. On the drive home after an afternoon of playing pickleball, a St. Pete Beach resident requested a friend turn into the St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue Fire Station 23. This resident was not feeling well and wanted the firefighters to examine vitals. The Rescue 23 crew of Firefighter Paramedic Sam Bathon and his partner, the department’s newest hire, Firefighter Paramedic Anthony Laws ushered the resident into the apparatus bay for evaluation. The resident answered the rapid assessment questions and agreed to an EKG. During electrode placement, the patient became unresponsive and went into cardiac arrest. The EKG showed ventricular fibrillation, a lethal unorganized electrical activity of the heart. Bathon and Laws performed CPR and applied a cardiac defibrillator to shock the heart and reset the electrical activity. With help from Firefighter EMT Patrick Strong, they continued CPR and applied a second defibrillation. The patient then began breathing and opened his eyes. The EKG revealed an inferior infarct (heart attack) and the patient was transported to the Palms of Pasadena Hospital for further treatment.
As a lead paramedic, Sam Bathon frequently mentors new paramedic members. He is also a Paramedic Preceptor for the Pinellas County Medical Director’s office and recently organized the department’s new paramedic training to assist other mentors. Sam organized and conducted preparatory training for the SPBFR’s Advanced Cardiac Life Support recertification. Anthony Laws is a newly hired Firefighter Paramedic who has been working in Pinellas County for over two years.
Patrick Strong is a seasoned Firefighter EMT who has been working for St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue for over 9 years. Patrick is known as a calm and confident professional who enhances the crew with his skills, experience, and equipment knowledge. District Chief Mike Elder stated, “The quick response of Bathon, Laws, and Strong saved one of our residents yesterday. I am proud to have these professionals working for our organization. The SPBFR team assists our community in many ways and this lifesaving outcome is yet another example of how the team’s quick decisions, skills, and training help provide a better quality of life for our residents.”