Former Firefighter Uses CPR To Save A Life

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Al Salcedo was enjoying a bankers meeting in Minneapolis along with his wife Lisa when a situation developed in the meeting room. A man was down, unconscious and people around him were asking if there was a Doctor in the crowd. Salcedo is former firefighter and his training kicked in. "I quickly determined that he didn't have a pulse," explained Salcedo in an interview with WOWT6 News. "I rolled him back over and started CPR." Salcedo asked if anyone else in the crowd of 220 people had CPR training but there was no response. "I requested the staff if they had an AED. They did and they promptly got it to me."

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Ill. law requires high school CPR, defibrillator training

Lauren Laman died because the AED was there but not used

NORMAL, Ill. – Beginning this year, all Illinois high school students will be required to learn CPR and how to use a defibrillators as part of a new law that Gov. Pat Quinn approved Thursday. Related Article Ill. pushes for required CPR, defibrillator training in high schools Related content sponsored by: He signed the bill at the annual meeting of the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois, the Chicago Tribune reports. “It is not often our high school students are faced with the opportunity to save a life,” Quinn said in a press release. “Should an emergency arise, we want our students ready to step in and take action.” House Bill 3724 makes the training mandatory for all secondary schools in the state. Students can opt out if their parents submit a written objection. The law takes effect for the 2014-2015 school year. Quinn was joined at the signing by George Laman and Eric Bell, who have been strong supporters of the bill. Laman recommended it to lawmakers after his daughter Lauren collapsed and died at her high school drill team practice in 2008. There was a mobile defibrillator nearby, but it wasn’t used until paramedic arrived 13 minutes later. Eric Bell, also a supporter, said he is alive because his son Harry, a junior at the time, had learned CPR during a health class at a Catholic school. When his heart stopped, Harry performed CPR on his father for 12 minutes until medics arrived. “This common-sense law,” Quinn said, “will make sure they are better prepared to help their classmates, teachers, family and friends in case of an emergency.”

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Umpire at game saved by player that knew CPR!

An umpire had just collapsed from an apparent heart attack during a high school game Friday night. A 16 year old player reacted quickly, confidently, skillfully, and helped save the ump's life.

(Photo: Jon Shirek)

CONYERS, Ga. -- Some of us go through our whole lives and never find out whether we'd come through in the clutch.

At 16, Rockdale County High School JV First Baseman Alex Norwood just found out -- when it's the bottom of the 9th with two outs and and you're at bat to win the game -- he found out what he would do.

And we're not just talking baseball.

We're talking real life.

At Friday night's game, "The ump just collapsed."

Alex and everyone else at Friday night's JV game between Rockdale County and Newton County High Schools watched as the home plate umpire suddenly fell to the plate, right after the second inning.

"He spun around like he'd gotten hit, and he just collapsed."

An apparent heart attack.

Rockdale's coach, Jerrid Harris, ran to home plate.

"As we're tearing off his shirt and getting his chest protector off, that's when I asked, 'Who all knows CPR?' And the voice behind me was confident, quick, and said, 'I know how to do CPR, I'm ready to go.' And I turned around and I saw Alex. He got in there and started chest compressions immediately."

Coach Jarrid Harris(Photo: Jon Shirek)

Alex Norwood had only learned CPR two weeks earlier, in order to earn his lifeguard certification.

"And I checked for a pulse and he didn't have anything," Alex said, "so I started doing compressions. And I only did the first set of 30 compressions before the EMT got there, so I really don't feel like I did that much."

Two adults in the stands, one of them an off-duty EMT, took their turns administering CPR to Reagin, as well. And when the ambulance arrived, Reagin was alive.

He is still in the hospital, and the team just learned he's improving.

Coach Harris told 11Alive News during Monday afternoon's practice that he has always tried to teach his players how important it is to be ready to make the play when it comes your way.

"You're given [and learn] skills, whether it's baseball skills or life skills, and when it's time to step into the batter's box -- and you hope you don't ever have to in a situation like [what happened Friday night] -- but when it's time to step in the batter's box, you go to swing."

Alex Norwood came through in the clutch.

CPR Classes Near You: Click Here

Alex described how he learned to interlock his hands and press down on the sternum, moving the sternum about two inches down, and then releasing, then doing it again -- 30 times a round. There is no more mouth-to-mouth. It's 30 chest compressions right on the sternum. Alex said he learned how to pace the compressions in order to do them at a pace of 100 beats a minute -- just do it to the beat of the song "Stayin' Alive."

"When I was taking the class, I didn't really think about it, I mean, I've had friends that have life-guarded before and they've never had to use it, ever. So I just thought, you know, it was something I had to do to get the certification. But Friday night showed that it really is important to know how to do it, because I mean, I don't know how much I did, but I mean, it could have helped" revive the umpire.

See the full article here 

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