When Paramedic training get a little TOO real

[Asysin2leads]

New York City Paramedic training turns to real-life emergencyBY CARL MACGOWAN

Newsday Staff Writer

January 20, 2007

A training session for fire department paramedics turned into a real-life drama Friday when one of the students went into cardiac arrest.

Three paramedics from Long Island and a lieutenant from Howard Beach sprang into action and stabilized the student, Jeffrey Sanger, possibly saving his life.

Sanger, 39, of the Bronx, was in stable condition Friday night at Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park.

"The guy was in the right place at the right time," said Lt. Arthur Lester of Howard Beach.

Sanger was among a group of 11 paramedics in the second week of a 14-week paramedic training program at Fort Totten in Queens.

He was in the locker room preparing to begin the day's session when he was overcome by chest pains and what felt like heartburn, and he was extremely pale and sweating, Lester said.

But he was in denial.

"He hid it from everybody, but he eventually told me," said Patty Slavic of Maspeth, the lead instructor of the program.

Sanger collapsed, prompting paramedic instructors Peter Auricchio, 38, of Holbrook, Karen Mangal, 38, of Elmont, and Joseph Hudak, 43, of Freeport, to rush to his aid. He had no pulse and had stopped breathing.

One paramedic administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation before Auricchio shocked him with a defibrillator. Sanger regained consciousness and vital signs before he was taken to the hospital.

"He had a seizure and then had a cardiac arrest," Lester said. "Maybe a minute or two after we shocked him, he started to breathe ... and a minute or two later he was talking to us."

That made her day, Mangal said.

"I'm glad came to work," said the mother of two. "I had the opportunity to save a life directly."

Please join me in a round of applause for the above mentioned paramedics, who are all great guys to boot. They saved one of our own. =D>

[medic429]

=D> =D> =D>

that is a great story!

[tskstorm]

I heard about this as well

it was very well done and they got him back quickly

lucky man ... i mean of all places for that to happen ...

quotting another news paper source " he must have had an angel on his shoulder"

[MAGICFITZPATRICK]

Im so happy I read that!That just made my day.

[tskstorm]

Im so happy I read that!That just made my day.

yea i enjoyed the read myself

[dblueyes]

"An angel on his shoulder"~~~indeed!!!!!!

What a fantastic story!

[Eydawn]

Excellent. Lucky man... and lucky for his buddies that they got him back. It's always more difficult when it's someone you know....

So glad this had a happy ending!

Wendy

CO EMT-B

MI EMT-B

[Michael]

Very nice, thanks!

Just the opposite of the bank robber on a Friday at lunch-hour, who, after threating the teller, heard a series of "clicks" from the line of customers behind him. It happened to be payday at the office across the street, the office of the FBI.

Your story's better.

[tskstorm]

Very nice, thanks!

Just the opposite of the bank robber on a Friday at lunch-hour, who, after threating the teller, heard a series of "clicks" from the line of customers behind him. It happened to be payday at the office across the street, the office of the FBI.

Your story's better.

thats cute 2 haha

[AnatomyChick]

Good for them!