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CPR training helps Airmen at Andrews save life

  • Published
Each year Airmen are trained and certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation. While the training only takes one day to complete, no one knows when or if they will use that training.

For Tech. Sergeant Lewis R. Devore, an 89th Security Forces augmentee here, those skills were put to use was April 29.

At approximately 10:15 a.m., Sergeant Devore was directing traffic through the main gate here when a gray sedan pulled up. The driver exclaimed his father was having a heart attack.

Sergeant Devore -- from the 434th Civil Engineering Squadron at Grissom Air Reserve Base in Indiana -- quickly took charge. He directed one Airman to call the law enforcement desk who, in turn, called for an ambulance. Sergeant Devore directed another Airman to direct gate traffic. He also had the driver pull his vehicle to the parking lot behind the guard shack.

With the assistance of Senior Airman David Comfort, an 89th SFS installation patrolman, Sergeant Devore unbuckled the unconscious passenger. They laid him on the pavement beside the vehicle. Sergeant Devore checked for a pulse and breathing and discovered the individual did not have a heartbeat.

Sergeant Devore, a 24-year Air Force veteran, and Airman Comfort began performing CPR on the individual. After a few minutes, the individual's heart began to beat. However, it soon stopped, and they provided CPR again. They continued to provide CPR until paramedics arrived.

Sergeant Devore briefed the medical personnel on the situation and assisted in cutting off the man's shirt to place defibrillator pads on his chest. After several attempts, medical personnel were able to resuscitate the individual.

The victim was then transported to Malcolm Grow Medical Center. From there, he was transferred to Bethesda Naval Medical Center where, according to Sergeant Devore, he was listed in critical condition. He was then transferred to Washington Medical Center.

Sergeant Devore refuses to take full credit for the rescue and insists, "It was a team effort, we all worked together to do our job."

"Bystander CPR is absolutely critical in providing treatment until medical personnel arrive," said Lt. Col. Christine R. Sinkula, 89th Medical Group Emergency Services Flight commander. "The time that it gives an individual before medical personnel arrive is priceless. The key ingredient in saving lives is bystander CPR."

Sergeant Devore, who first learned CPR as a fuel systems operator, remains current in CPR as an Air Force Reservist and in his civilian job as a corrections officer.