Police, 911 lauded for heart attack repsonse
Emergency service personnel are being credited for saving the life of 39-year-old resident Jay Eisele on Saturday morning following a heart attack.
At a Rosendale Town Board meeting Wednesday, town police Officers Joshua Bettencourt and Brendon Hassett were recognized for their action after arriving at Eisele’s house less than a minute after receiving a 911 call.
“The importance of the time is that they were able to save a man’s life,” police Chief Perry Soule said.
“They were able to apply the (automatic external defibrillator) and, with the assistance of the equipment they were able to carry, were able to save that man’s life,” he said. “To me, as a police chief with 31 years of experience, that’s not a story we get to share that often.”
Eisele’s wife, Blanche, also expressed gratitude for Ulster County 911 operator Jason Braker, who instructed the couple’s son on how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation while waiting for emergency services.
“Our son started doing (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) until the officers got there,” she said. “He hadn’t had CPR (training). The 911 operator on the other end talked him through.”
Hassett said the assistance provided by phone was correct.
“He was doing all he could with the little bit amount of training he had,” he said. “I thought he was doing a pretty good job.”
County Emergency Communications Director Steve Peterson said Braker has been with the department for 10 years.
“We operate off of card set and the instruction is given verbatim to the caller,” he said. “There is a technique that they use to calm the caller.”
Both officers have been with Rosendale Police Department for less than a year, but Bettencourt said they were able to put their training to use without hesitation.
“There’s a great (phrase) a buddy of mine used to say — ‘you are never going to rise to the occasion, you’re always going to revert to the level of your training,’” he said. “So ... whatever you’ve been trained to do over and over and over again, that’s exactly what you’re going to do in that moment.”
Jay Eisele, a town Highway Department employee, was grateful to everyone who acted swiftly. But trying to thank those who helped him, he was unable to say more than a sentence without being overcome by emotion.
“They all did amazing jobs,” he said.
Following the session, Eisle said the heart attack was completely unexpected and he didn’t realize what had happened until he regained consciousness at the hospital.