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Burke County honors lifesavers; county CPR success rate rises to 28%
Summary
Emergency services recognized multiple civilians and first responders with Lifesaver Awards and reported a rise in Burke County’s CPR return-to-spontaneous-circulation rate from under 8% to 28% following training and system improvements.
Burke County presented Lifesaver Awards Nov. 17 to civilians and first responders whose actions in recent emergencies helped save lives, and emergency management officials told the board the county’s CPR outcomes have improved significantly.
Emergency services director James Robinson described three separate incidents that the awards recognized: a lifeguard rescue at the Morganton Aquatic Center, a neighbor-initiated resuscitation of a toddler guided by 911 telecommunicators, and a roadway rescue prompted by a child’s call to stop to help a man pinned under a lawnmower. Robinson also recounted a case where responders provided prolonged CPR (20 minutes) that restored a patient’s heartbeat; the patient later received a pacemaker and was discharged with minimal complications.
Robinson highlighted system factors that contributed to improved outcomes — rapid 911 activation, bystander CPR coached by telecommunicators, on-scene EMS care and coordination — and reported that Burke County’s CPR return-to-spontaneous-circulation (ROSC) rate rose from less than 8% to 28% after recent training and protocol changes.
Robinson also acknowledged telecommunicators, EMS crews, and local volunteer fire departments by name during the presentation and invited awardees and responders to the front of the chamber for recognition and photographs.
The board applauded the awardees and accepted the presentation; no board action beyond recognition was taken.
