MONROE COUNTY FIRE RESCUE AND TRAUMA STAR CREWS REUNITE WITH MAN BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE FROM A HEART ATTACK
MIAMI, FL – On Monday, Monroe County Fire Rescue and Trauma Star crew members had a joyful reunion with a 47-year-old man who days earlier they had brought back to life not once, but five times.
Ricky Bryan, from Perryville, MD, was in full cardiac arrest with no pulse when MCFR responded Jan. 2 to a medical emergency at Boyd’s Campground on Stock Island. Bryan’s close friend had begun CPR.
MCFR’s medically trained firefighters took over and for the next 30 minutes continued the life-saving efforts, which included 10 defibrillations. Bryan coded three more times before the crew was able to stabilize him enough to be flown by the County’s Trauma Star air ambulance to the University of Miami Hospital.
During the 45-minute flight, Trauma Star Flight Nurse Roget Torres said the patient coded again after Trauma Star lifted off, “But we got him back. He is a fighter.”
Bryan was released from the hospital Monday. He and his son, mother and sister were emotional when they met the MCFR and Trauma Star personnel who provided the life-saving care by land and air.
“It was so great to see him and so healthy looking, although I’m sure his ribs are sore from the CPR,” MCFR Captain Andrea Thompson of Station 8 on Stock Island said. “The last time I saw him he was in critical condition.”
Thompson was joined in the reunion filled with hugs by MCFR FF/Paramedics Rafael Calante and Raymond Zamora and FF/EMT Brandon King. The Trauma Star flight crew was Torres, Pedro Carrillo and Ralph Rios.
Six months ago, Monroe County Fire Rescue expanded its cardiac alert program with the University of Miami Hospital to include Acute Coronary Syndrome alerts. Patients now can be flown directly from the field to that hospital for life-saving care. MCFR now receive patient follow-ups to learn the interventions that are performed and the patient outcomes.
“This was a very well-orchestrated call,” Thompson said. “The crews worked seamlessly together, and every action taken by the ground, air and hospital team led to the wonderful outcome.”
Photos by the UM Gordon Center.
At the University of Miami Hospital on Jan. 7, 2019, a joyful reunion was held between Ricky Bryan and personnel from Monroe County Fire Rescue, Trauma Star and the University of Miami Hospital who all worked together to save his life the past week.
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What was the cost to the taxpayers of Monroe County to have six paid personnel , plus use and tie up a Trauma Star chopper to have 1.5 hr RT to / from Miami and time to have a reunion with that patient and his family?