When Kathy McGettigan told a group of firefighters Tuesday that “we’ve had some really good saves in our community,” she wasn’t talking about relief pitchers; she was talking about human lives.
McGettigan, treasurer of 7 Rivers Cardiac Arrest Preparedness and Education, visited La Crosse Fire Station #3 in La Crosse to recognize local firefighters who saved the life of someone in cardiac arrest. Nearly 300 firefighters and emergency medical technicians have received Hero Award certificates from 7R-CAPE over the past two years.
“It’s a good way to say, ‘thank you’ for the things you do,” McGettigan said. “You guys do make a difference. You guys should be proud of what you do.”
Hero Awards were given to personnel from Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance and Gundersen MedComm during a similar gathering Nov. 23.
The Hero Awards are normally distributed during an annual banquet, but 7R-CAPE switched to delivering awards in person due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to the certificates, each recipient was awarded a $10 gift card from Kwik Trip.
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“Having a chance to go into the communities where our heroes live, thank them and possibly meet with the survivors is a great opportunity for us to reach more people with our message of thanks, hope and preparedness,” said Cheri Olson, president of 7R-CAPE.
According to 7R-CAPE, over 300,000 people in the United States each year die from cardiac arrest. While survival rates are 5-10% in “unprepared communities,” communities with robust emergency management departments have a survival rate of 50%.
La Crosse Fire Department Captain Jim Hillcoat said the La Crosse area is in the latter category. Hillcoat, who received one of the Hero Awards, said the community’s investment in training, equipment and “adequate staffing to get there quickly” play a critical role in live-saving response.
“Sudden cardiac arrest is a reality of life. It happens everywhere in the country, and we respond to that as firefighters and EMTs,” Hillcoat said. “Some of us don’t always want to be recognized for doing for what we would say is doing our job; however, this is really good proof and validation for what we train for and the services that we provide.”