First responders awarded for lifesaving efforts on fentanyl overdose victim

CRESSON — A young man will have a second chance at life thanks to the combined efforts of 13 local first responders.

At 7:48 p.m. on Sept. 28, Hood County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call reporting that an 18-year-old male had suffered a respiratory/cardiac arrest at the Sonic in Cresson. With the help of HCSO Dispatcher and Granbury Volunteer Firefighter Collin Pieren, CPR began.

During that time, Crowley Fire Chief Pleasant Brooks and his wife, Kimberly, who works as a respiratory therapist, drove past the Sonic, saw the rescue attempts and made a U-turn. They joined Katrina Klein, respiratory therapist, who was attempting to revive the male patient.

Granbury-based Texas DPS State Trooper Thomas Anderson was in the area and arrived at the location within two minutes, while the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department rescue truck arrived at the scene in less than two minutes.

The responders discovered that the 18-year-old male had ingested a pill laced with fentanyl. Anderson, who carries the drug Narcan for such emergencies, administered the lifesaving medication designed to help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in minutes. The patient was ventilated with Cresson’s equipment and a second dose of Narcan was administered by Cresson responders. Cardiac arrest dispatchers triggered a full initial response from the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department, and six Cresson personnel responded: David Hendrix, Trystin Garrison, Tristan Meltzer, Aydan Hoket, Richard Ward and John Carroll.

Due to the team efforts of the responders, the 18-year-old male regained a pulse, began breathing and became alert, but confused. At 7:59 p.m., Texas EMS Paramedic Baletin Aguilar and EMT Kelly Harris arrived and transported the patient — who was conscious at the time — via ambulance to the hospital without requiring additional lifesaving interventions other than fluid administration. The patient survived and will be able to return to a normal life.

HEROES RECOGNIZED

“The saving of this young man’s life is due in large part to the smooth teamwork displayed by several public safety organizations,” wrote Cresson Volunteer Fire Department Chief Ron Becker on the Lifesaver Award nomination form. “The coordinated response by the Hood County Sheriff’s Office dispatcher, Texas Highway Patrol Trooper Anderson, the ‘ready to help’ Chief Brooks, nurse Kimberly Brooks, respiratory therapist Katrina Klein, the immediate and well-equipped response by the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department, and finally the transport by Texas EMS were all important contributors in restoring this young man’s life within just a few minutes. It is an outstanding example of the everyday cooperation in our area of several public safety agencies. All those involved deserve to be recognized for their exemplary performance at this incident.”

The Chisholm Trail 100 Club in conjunction with the Cresson Volunteer Fire Department held a special event at the Diana Jones Memorial Training Center on Oct. 25 to honor those 13 individuals who all helped save a life that evening.

“I know that many of us who have served in public safety for our entire careers would argue that this is just our job,” said Tom Cowan, chairman of the awards committee for the Chisholm Trail 100 Club. “But for the young man whose life was saved, for his family, for other community members and for all of us, they are truly heroes. There's no question about it.”

The 13 first responders honored with the Lifesaving Award included: Colin Pieren, Pleasant Brooks, Kimberly Brooks, Katrina Klein, Thomas Anderson, David Hendrix, Trystin Garrison, Tristan Meltzer, Aydan Hoket, Richard Ward, John Carroll, Baletin Aguilar and Kelly Harris.

They each received a certificate, a pin and a lifesaving clock with an inscription that reads, “the most precious gift a person can receive is the gift of time with which to live their life.”

“You gave this particular individual time back to spend with their family and friends, and for that, we say ‘Thank you,’ and we want to recognize you,” said Cara Ellison, executive director for the Chisholm Trail 100 Club.

Texas State Representative Glenn Rogers also honored the 13 first responders with a state recognition.

“It's an honor really to be here,” Rogers said at the event. “I got a call from Chief Becker asking me to be here, and I said, ‘Well, we not only want to be here, we want to try to get some kind of recognition that we can hand out from the state of Texas.’ We have a resolution for each of those mentioned up here. We want to just recognize the amazing teamwork, the true heroism that you showed, and it's amazing. It just shows how this community has just top-notch first responders. We appreciate all that you do.”