AutoPulse Plays Key Role in Firefighter/Paramedic’s Survival

“Shock for Your Heart” Raises Awareness and Access to AEDs

Crissman with Teritory Manager Brandi Van Bourgondien. Photo courtesy of Debbie Sizemore.

Dave Crissman has spent his career as a firefighter and paramedic with the Bellefontaine Fire and EMS Department. This September his fellow crew had to respond to a call on him.

At 2:00 a.m. on September 26, 2017, Crissman’s wife was awakened by Dave shaking in bed. He sat up, then slid to the floor totally unresponsive. His wife called 911. The Bellefontaine Fire Department was dispatched to respond to a seizure. Upon arrival, the crew found their colleague was in cardiac arrest.

Crissman and the department say the AutoPulse^® Resuscitation System played a key role in his survival. The department received an AutoPulse just this spring after being awarded a grant from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. After extensive training and education with their ZOLL^® Territory Manager, Brandi Van Bourgondien, they deployed the device.

Crissman’s peers arrived with the AutoPulse, strapped him onto it, and used it to move him up the stairs and around corners on their way to the ER. The crew members commented that the Quick Case™ carry sheet made all the difference in being able to maneuver through Crissman’s home.

The medical team used the AutoPulse to continue CPR for approximately 15 minutes in the ER. Crissman is 100% neurologically intact and is ready to get back to light duty.