Aug. 16--A Detroit EMS technician performing CPR on a patient en route to a hospital suddenly had a heart attack himself this morning.

Joseph Hardman "had a heart attack on the way to the hospital," says union rep Joe Barney. "He nearly died, had to go to surgery."

Barney said only two technicians were with the ambulance when industry standards call for four. Thirty EMS techs have left the department over work conditions and loss of pay, Barney said. The department is down to about 150 from 304 eight years ago.

Hardman "dropped his patient off alive while he was having a heart attack, then went to the ER, where they treated him immediately. He survived, and he's in fact laying three beds over from the guy he brought into the hospital."

"I talked to him this evening to make sure his family was OK, and he's doing better," he said. "But he's scared. The stress of the job is getting to be too much."

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