The Greene County Board recognized three members of the community along with area first responders for their quick actions during a medical emergency in December.
According to an announcement by West Central Joint Dispatch ETSB, On Christmas Eve, in the rural Greene County community of Rockbridge, sudden cardiac arrest struck a man while he was in the local post office.
Staff witnessed Mr. Baily grasp his chest and collapse. Officials said the quick actions of staff to call 9-1-1, followed by the pre-arrival instructions to start chest compressions, combined with the response of an off-duty paramedic, Greenfield Police, Greenfield Fire Protection District First Responders, and Greene County EMS changed the direction of that day.
Mr. Baily was flown to Memorial Medical Center in Springfield for further care and has since fully recovered. He has said he will be forever grateful for the efforts of the first responders, and bystanders.
Specific recognition was given to Amanda Plogger, a postal worker who administered CPR, Telecommunicator JaNece Sweeten who instructed CPR by phone, and off-duty EMS technician Olivia Walker who came to assist in taking care of Mr. Baily.
According to the American Heart Association, Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) most often occurs in the home at 74.4% of cases, followed by 16.3% in a public setting, and 10.3% occurring in nursing homes.
Officials say if performed immediately, CPR can double or triple the chances of survival from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.