Strongsville Fire and Emergency Services, Strongsville Police and the Southwest Emergency Dispatch Center were recognized by MetroHealth Medical Center for excellence in emergency medical services for saving the life of a Strongsville resident in April 2015.
The Strongsville team was among nine recognized May 17, 2016 by Metro, whose emergency room handles about 100,000 visits a year.
The Dispatch Center received a 911 call about 6:45 p.m. April 19, 2015 about a man trapped under his SUV after it fell off the jack. Dispatchers Erin Iorillo and Diane Williams gathered pertinent details, dispatched both police and fire departments, and updated the responding crews with vital information.
Police patrolmen Shamus Kelly and Zaki Hazou, who arrived first, were able to jack up the car and remove the victim. They assessed his vital signs and, finding none, began CPR.
Fire Lt. Gregg Samoly and firemedics Allen Miller and Mike Macejko arrived within four minutes of being dispatched, performed a trauma assessment and initiated advanced medical procedures. They took the patient directly to MetroHealth Medical Center, a level one trauma center, where the patient spent a few days before being released without any significant deficits.
"This was a team effort, and any misstep within the 'chain of survival' would have most likely had a tragic outcome," Fire Chief Jack Draves said. "These men and women are most appropriately being recognized for a job well done."