From staff reports
City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department Lieutenant and Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (AEMT) Adam Jordan was in the right place at the right time on Tuesday morning, Jan. 3.
Off duty, Jordan, who has been a firefighter with the Beaufort/Port Royal Fire Department for nearly 20 years, was working out with his wife. While working out, a man in the Planet Fitness in Beaufort went into Cardiac Arrest and started turning blue.
Jordan immediately began working to save the man’s life by performing Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). While Jordan began compressions, a Planet Fitness employee, ran and got the defibrillator (AED) from the front desk for Jordan.
After a few rounds of compressions and a shock with the AED, the man was alert and talking. Beaufort/Port Royal FD Engine Company 4 arrived on the scene and started Intravenous Therapy (IV) with fluids. The patient was then transported by Beaufort County EMS to Beaufort Memorial Hospital.
CPR, defibrillators saves lives
The City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department would like to remind citizens that it offers public and private CPR classes. Classes are held monthly for $35. Call 843-525-7055 for more information.
The City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department would also like to encourage all businesses, schools, and churches to have an AED on hand and have their staff CPR certified. Effective CPR provided by a bystander in the first few minutes of a cardiac can increase the chance of survival by 200 to 300%. CPR aids in maintaining a vital flow of blood back to the brain and heart. It also aids in increasing the duration of electric shock provided by an AED, making the process more effective.
CPR timeline
0-4 minutes – unlikely development of brain damage
4-6 minutes – possibility of brain damage
6-10 minutes – high probability of brain damage
10-or-more minutes – probably brain damage
