The Carson City Fire Department recently presented local Starbucks employees Nicole Cisneros, Andrew Tuell, Allison Galloway, Brittany Stanley, and Alicia Allen with the Lifesaving Award for their extraordinary and cautionary diligence in performing lifesaving intervention while responders were enroute, according to a news release from the city.
On May 12, dispatch received an emergency medical call from North Carson Street Starbucks employees who witnessed a customer losing consciousness and becoming unresponsive, with prompt instructions from the dispatcher they immediately began providing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, according to the release. Without prior formal training the Starbucks employees performed the lifesaving procedure flawlessly.
Upon arrival, Engine 52 and Rescue 52 crew immediately recognized the extraordinary effort each of them made to preserve the patient’s brain function until further measures could be taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing. By providing continuous chest compressions and regulated artificial air ventilation the Starbucks employees contributed to the patient’s survival.
Firefighter/paramedics began deploying the AutoPulse device which performs perfect CPR with no interruptions.
Firefighter/Paramedic Johnathan Wielkie stated while recalling the incident, “At one point I called to the crew for ‘a sugar’ and one of the employees on scene replied ‘I have sugar!’ and was happy to help with what she understood as a request for sweetener. The term ‘sugar’ is our terminology to ask a crew member to obtain a blood glucose level. This employee’s willingness to help, although misunderstood, helped ease the overlying tension in the building.”
The Starbucks employees continued to watch what may have seemed as chaotic, after several interventions, firefighter/paramedics obtained return of spontaneous circulation and transported the patient to the hospital. Crews arrived at the hospital and the patient had a heartbeat, good blood pressure, and excellent oxygenation. The patient was sent to ICU to recover and later discharged.
