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MUSCATINE, Iowa – Ben Eversmeyer is happy to be alive, and he knows just who to thank for that.

Eversmeyer was walking across his living room just over a year ago (Jan. 2, 2022) when he fell to his knees and then dropped to his side.

“My wife noticed my eyes were rolled back in my head,” Eversmeyer said. “I had apparently gone into cardiac arrest.”

His wife called 911 and started CPR. The paramedics arrived just a mere 90 seconds after they were dispatched but it seemed a lifetime to the Eversmeyers. The paramedics took over CPR and used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to shock his heart.

“I had a pulse and was alert when they loaded me into the ambulance,” Eversmeyer said.

Eversmeyer was taken to the University of Iowa Hospital Emergency Room and talked with the paramedics as they unloaded him at the hospital. Three days later, Eversmeyer received an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) and was released from the hospital the next day.

Ambulance Operations Chief Gary Ronzheimer along with Fire Captain Joe Timmsen, and firefighters Mike E. Collins and Josh Rudolph were on the crew that responded to and saved the life of Eversmeyer.

The odds of surviving a cardiac arrest are not good with 70 percent of adult cardiac arrests occurring at home. Only 11.4 percent of patients survive through discharge from a hospital. Everysmeyer was one of the lucky ones and the odds of his survival began when his wife began CPR, and increased higher with the quick response of Muscatine paramedics.

Eversmeyer’s recognition of the Muscatine paramedics highlight the skill and care provided by the Muscatine Fire Department during a sudden cardiac arrest event.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

The collapse of Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin from a cardiac arrest during an NFL game with the Cincinnati Bengals Monday night brings home the swift change from living life to fighting for life that occurs with a cardiac arrest. The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation states that out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates are low, an average of 10 percent. That increases to 30 percent when a bystander begins CPR, and increases to 50 percent when that bystander can use both CPR and an AED. The foundation urges the public to learn CPR and how to use an AED, to encourage CPR-AED education in schools, and to promote widespread deployment of AEDs in their community.

Eastern Iowa Community Colleges will be holding a Heartsaver class in Muscatine on March 23. The Heartsaver CPR/AED/First Aid class is open to everyone and instructs participants on how to handle basic first aid, medical, injury, and environmental emergencies. Heartsaver CPR for the adult, child, and infant including how to handle choking situations are covered based on the American Heart Association 2015 guides. Click HERE to learn more about this class.

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Nearly everyone knows a firefighter. They are our family, friends, and co-workers. They respond to a stranger’s call for help without hesitation and serve with pride and compassion.

On Wednesday, May 4, 2022, the world observes International Firefighters Day, a worldwide day to recognize those men and women of the fire service for their dedication to public service and bravery in keeping us safe.

The National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) is inviting communities to celebrate firefighters by lighting their homes in “red” on Wednesday. Lighting up in “red” would be a symbol of support to all of those who are there 24-hours a day, seven-days a week to protect us. You can also share photos and stories on social media with the hashtag #Shine4Firefighters.

“We have all been moved by the images of children, families, and the elderly impacted by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine,” Donna Clark, National Fallen Firefighters Foundation spokesperson, said. “There have also been images reminding us of the strength and bravery of firefighters and emergency service workers responding to the needs of their communities under the worst of circumstances.”

The day is a chance to pause and say thanks to those who make up the worldwide firefighting ranks, from career firefighters to military, wildland, and volunteer firefighters. Those who volunteer can come from all walks of life. They could be your banker, Little League coach, teacher, mechanic, or neighbor. But all firefighters, regardless of their backgrounds, have at least one thing in common: When the alarm sounds, they answer the call of duty to save lives and protect property.

Though they serve with pride and compassion, their service can be easily overlooked or taken for granted. It’s only in times of emergencies, when we need them, that we deeply appreciate firefighters’ training and responsiveness. And for these men and women who are first responders, this has been a particularly stressful time in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Many have been on the front lines, helping patients, and some themselves have succumbed to the virus.

Across the United States there have been 141 firefighter deaths in 2021 with 63 attributed to COVID-19. Nearly 64 percent of calls answered by firefighters are for emergency medical services (EMS).

Muscatine has had only one firefighter death in the line of duty. Michael Kruse was 53-years-old and a 27-year veteran of the Muscatine Fire Department when he lost his life while fighting a house fire on the night of September 14, 2002. He was the only Iowa fire fighter to lose their life while on duty in 2002 and the 131st in the state of Iowa since records began in 1890.

International Firefighters’ Day is a chance to give back to those who give so much to their communities.

This day of recognition is at the very heart of NFFF’s mission of honoring and remembering America’s fallen firefighters, to help their families rebuild their lives and to prevent firefighter line-of-duty injuries and deaths.

International Firefighters’ Day has its roots dating back to 1999, when it was established to honor the lives of five firefighters who died the year before in a wildfire in Victoria, Australia, and to recognize the service and sacrifice of firefighters around the world.

The date for International Firefighters’ Day falls on the feast day of St. Florian, who was the first known commander of a firefighting squad in the Roman Empire and who is the patron saint of all firefighters. May 4 is also known internationally as St. Florian’s Day.