Cardiac survivors and emergency responders honored at Phoenix Awards

Thanks to the combined efforts of first responders, 911 dispatchers and ordinary citizens who worked together when seconds counted, 27 people survived near-death cardiac events in 2017 to have a new lease on life.

The Sussex County Phoenix Club Awards Ceremony was held March 10 at the Laurel Volunteer Fire Company to recognize those who survived near-death cardiac events last year, and to honor the men and women who helped to save them. Each year, nearly 420,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the United States, with bystanders and emergency responders facing the daunting task of trying to save those individuals from succumbing to death.

The Sussex County Ambulance Association and Sussex County Emergency Medical Services honored the 27 cardiac arrest survivors and more than 150 rescuers, including first responders, emergency operations specialists and civilians, who helped save lives in 2017.

Recipients were each presented with Phoenix Awards, symbolic of the mythological bird that is reborn. The ceremony recognized those who participated in what the American Heart Association calls the chain of survival for a victim of cardiac arrest. This includes early notification by 911 dispatchers with instructions on how to perform CPR, early CPR and early use of an automated external defibrillator, followed by early advanced care and transport to a cardiac care facility.