Hamden Fire Retirees Association, Inc.

 

 

For the second Life Save Award, Batt. Chief Ron Desroches told of how Civilian Good Sumaritan, Mr. Clayton Tebbetts, at 190 Sanford Street, provided CPR to an unresponsive patient while fire personnel (listed above) were enroute.

 

The intervention was a huge success and the patient was present at the ceremony to embrace Mr. Tebbetts and the other department members who participated in the save.

 

At 07:55 on March 31, 2024, Squad 1 and Rescue 1 were dispatched to a possible cardiac arrest on the Canal Line at the rear of 109 Sanford St. During the response, Squad 1 requested ATV 5 with Engine 5 due to the potential for encumbered patient access. Upon arrival at 07:59, Good Samaritans from the Multisports Academy and Ranfone Training Systems guided crews to the best access through an otherwise difficult-to-find rear driveway where they found a 58-year-old male jogger pulseless and apneic with bystander CPR being performed by Mr. Clayton Tebbetts.
 
Mr. Tebbetts, the owner of Multisports Academy, was running with the patient when the patient collapsed. Mr. Tebbetts began compressions and rescue breaths without hesitation and instructed others to call for help. He continued resuscitation until the arrival of the Hamden Fire Department. Ff./Paramedic Jonathan Cabral of Rescue 1 took the lead of initiating Advanced Cardiac Life Support measures and delegated tasks to Ff./Paramedic Matthew Nolan, Ff./EMT Ralph DiFonzo III, and Ff./EMT Thomas Mieldzioc. Compressions were resumed by Ff./EMT DiFonzo and rescue breathing with a BVM and OPA was initiated by Ff./EMT Mieldzioc.

 

The patient was initially found in ventricular fibrillation and was manually defibrillated at 200J with no change. Resuscitative efforts were continued, and Ff./P Nolan delivered 1 mg Epi 1:10000, followed by 300 mg Amiodarone IO a few minutes later. Ff./EMT DiFonzo worked with Lt. Lynch to apply the LUCAS compression device to allow for automated compressions.

The patient was then found to be in polymorphic ventricular tachycardia. Ff./P Cabral delivered a second defibrillation at 300J with a conversion to an organized rhythm. Compressions continued for two more minutes via the LUCAS and a pulse check was performed. A return of spontaneous circulation was achieved.

 

Ff./P Nolan prepared and delivered a 150 mg Amiodarone infusion post-arrest and Engine 5/ATV 5 with Lt. Craig Smart, then Ff./EMT Casey Blake, and Ff./EMT Alan Sedlak arrived to assist with patient removal to AMR with the awaiting stretcher. The patient opened his eyes and began purposeful movements followed by speech. He regained full consciousness within minutes. Ff./P Cabral and AMR continued post-resuscitation care to Yale-New Haven Hospital

This call is emblematic of the great work of our people do every day, especially our Firefighter/Paramedics, but the true credit goes to Mr. Tebbetts.  Without his manual compressions and ventilations I believe we would not have had the positive outcome we did.

 

For the third Life Save Award, Capt. Mike Dowling described the circumstances surrounding the save in front of 100 Sanford Street on September 10th.  Among the fire personnel was Milford F.D. student paramedic Conor Stevens and Brook Boisvert of Quinnipiac University EMS.

 

For the second Unit Citation awarded this afternoon, Lt. Nicholas Borelli of Engine 2 described the working fire at 29 Marne Street that he and his crew of two men were faced with upon arrival.  Quick well-coordinated steps taken by his crew before other units arrived on scene neutralized the blaze before it likely would have grown out of control.

 

On August 15, 2024, Engine 2 arrived at a large, one-story commercial building at 29 Marne Street, with heavy black smoke and fire showing from the roof.  While the Engine 2 officer was checking for occupants of the businesses directly below the fire, the crew of Engine 2, Firefighters David Demarest and Matthew Kellick, took initiative to begin firefighting operations.

The experience and training of these two firefighters was reflected in the speed and proficiency with which they executed their tasks. Firefighter Demarest, the driver of Engine 2, performed a single person throw of a 24-foot ladder to the roof of the building and then secured his own water source. Firefighter Kellick then made his way to the fire and held it at bay, extinguishing a good deal of it with just the pressurized water can, while a hose line was being stretched by the engine officer. The remainder of the fire was then extinguished with an inch-and-three-quarter handline. All these things happened in quick succession prior to the arrival of other suppression apparatus.

This was not a typical fire incident for the Hamden Fire Department, where we could easily stretch a charged hose line to the seat of a fire. It relied heavily on teamwork and cooperation among members to get the job done.

 

I believe the quick and adept teamwork of the engine crew this day saved a substantial amount of property and kept the incident from evolving into a conflagration.

Firefighter Traycheff was singled out for his meritorious actions in connection

with the January 10, 2024 high angle rope rescue at the West Rock Ridge State Park.

Now, those who know Chief Naples understand his infectious enthusiasm – and that signature "let's do it now, why not this summer" energy of his came out as we discussed creating a youth public safety camp. And instead of the usual "we'll look into it" response that so often slows great ideas down, Dean Chiasera did what she does best – she saw the potential for something extraordinary and leaned in with genuine interest.