CARDIAC ARREST VICTIM THANKS EMS, DISPATCH AND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

  

Sometimes hard work and planning pay off in a big way.  On October 1st of this year, it ended up saving a life.  Washington County EMS Director Kevin Deramus detailed the events involved in saving the life of cardiac arrest victim Jeff Moody at today’s (Tuesday’s) County Commissioners meeting.  Deramus said that the national average survival rate for cardiac arrest victims is only 6 to 10 percent.  In 2011, Washington County EMS had a cardiac survival rate of 17 percent.  He said they looked at everything involved on a cardiac call, from dispatch response to EMT training, to get that average higher.  In 2017 the average was up to 44 percent.  Deramus points to Jeff Moody’s case were everything worked correctly.  When Jeff’s wife Helen called 911, an EMS unit was dispatched in 16 seconds, well below the national average.  The dispatcher instructed Todd Burch, who was at the scene, to begin CPR.  An Advanced Community Peramedic was on the scene in less than 5 minutes, because of the new EMS substation in Chappell Hill.  If they had to come from Brenham, the response time would have been 15 minutes.

Because of everyone’s efforts, Jeff Moody was able to be at today’s (Tuesday’s) County Commissioners meeting to say thank you.