BURRILLVILLE – Thirteen members of the Harrisville Fire District and two doctors from Landmark Medical Center were recognized with the EMS Pride Medical Director Quality Award this week for rescue efforts that may have saved the the life of a longtime member of their own district.
The awards were presented at the Harrisville Fire District’s annual meeting on Monday, June 14 by Rhode Island Dept. of Health Emergency Medical Services Division Chief Jason Rhodes.
The team was recognized for their work on Thursday, March 18, in an incident that occurred just after a training session on pediatric emergencies. Two doctors from Landmark, Matthew Sarasin and James O’Neil, were visiting Burrillville for the class held at the Harrisville Fire station, when a call came in from Levy Rink.
The doctors joined Harrisville emergency staff on the call, and learned that another firefighter/EMT from Harrisville had suffered heart attack while playing hockey.
“It was one of our own members in grave medical condition,” said Harrisville Fire Chief Michael Gingell.
The man reportedly went into cardiac arrest with no pulse four times before he was stabilized and stints were placed at the hospital. Today, he is reportedly doing well in cardiac rehabilitation.
“He is able to spend time with his family, friends, and even hit a golf ball,” Gingell said.
Rhodes presented the honor on behalf of Dr. Kenneth Williams, the physician medical consultant to the Rhode Island Department of Health EMS Division. Williams established the quarterly EMS Pride award in recognition of the memory of C.J. Shanaberger, a vigorous proponent of quality and ethics in EMS care.
In addition to Sarasin and O’Neil, award recipients were Chief Gingell; Capt. Norman Mainville; Lt. Nicholas Brooks; Safety Officer Amanda Gingell; Firefighter/EMTs Timothy Gingell, Jonathan Deshais, Keith Jackson; Augustine Eddy; Erin Dwyer, Aliza Richard and Randy Parrott; and Firefighters Pedro Alvarez and Chandler Harkins.
