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Burke County EMS and partners credited with multiple lifesaving responses and field births
Summary
The county recognized EMS crews, volunteers and hospital partners for three out‑of‑hospital resuscitations, several prehospital births and other lifesaving interventions; Fry hospital STEMI coordinator praised local protocols.
James Robinson, director of Burke County Emergency Services, and partners recognized first responders and community bystanders on March 17 for multiple life‑saving responses and for collaboration on STEMI (heart attack) protocols.
Nut graf: County EMS credited by Robinson and a Fry hospital STEMI coordinator with helping save multiple lives through bystander CPR, rapid EMS care, and coordinated STEMI routing; the board and community recognized multiple individual responders and volunteers.
Robinson said three recent cardiac‑arrest cases achieved return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) after bystander CPR and coordinated EMS care; one patient received a stent at Fry and ‘‘was able to completely recover.’’ He described another case in which family bystanders started CPR before EMS arrival and a third case where Morganton Department of Public Safety initiated CPR and EMS obtained ROSC. Robinson noted North Carolina’s bystander CPR rate as a strength and praised community training efforts.
April Traxler, STEMI coordinator at Fry, told the commissioners Burke County’s field and hospital coordination has improved outcomes: ‘‘You really have got your return on investment,’’ Traxler said, referencing investments in EKG capability, dispatch alerts, and streamlined EMS‑to‑hospital workflows that reduce emergency department stops and speed definitive care.
Robinson also recognized EMS crews for multiple prehospital births that occurred after the storm and singled out one off‑duty responder, Kamani (last name not stated), who located an unconscious motorist, called 911 and provided initial assessment until EMS arrived; that patient later made a full recovery, Robinson said.
Ending: The board joined the staff in public recognition; commissioners thanked EMS personnel and their families for prolonged deployments during recovery operations.
