Massachusetts Firefighter Collapses on Scene; CPR, Defibrillator Used
Source Firehouse.com News
Lt. Keith Gauvreau and Capt. Michael Feinberg went into a wooded area on Kimball Lane in search of the reported fire at approximately 3 p.m. when the 48-year-old lieutenant complained he didn't feel well and collapsed.
Luckily, they were in the line of sight of two other firefighters on a nearby apparatus.
"I was in disbelief," Feinberg said. "Training kicked in and we went right to work."
They began administering CPR on Gauvreau and had an AED on him within less than a minute.
It took approximately five minutes before he regained a pulse and about five more minutes before he regained consciousness.
He was then transported to North Shore Medical Center in Salem where he remains in the ICU in stable condition.
Feinberg, who has known Gauvreau for close to 14 years, said that when any incident involves another firefighter, it makes it that much more difficult to respond to.
"Obviously there's a little more emotion involved, but I can't say enough about the crew that worked with me in the efforts. The teamwork was incredible. Everyone did their jobs and did them well."
He said that his long-time co-worker is doing well, but has a long road ahead of him and gave some advice to firefighters who find themselves in the situation he and his colleagues were in.
"Rely on your training. Everyone knows the job that needs to be done. Rely on your training and do your job."
Paul Peluso | Staff Writer
Paul Peluso is a Firehouse.com staff writer and has worked for the Web site since 2006. Previously, he worked as a reporter for several community newspapers located in the suburbs of Baltimore, Md. Since joining the newsteam, Paul has covered various fire service issues including fire sprinklers, grants, line of duty deaths and technology. While he started out at the Beltsville, Md. office, he has since moved to Florida where he works out of his home office in Tampa.
