By Joanne Clodfelter
Dayton Daily News
KETTERING, Ohio — Tom Schrand, a volunteer with the Kettering Fire Department, has carried a little green box with him for the past five years.
In August, Schrand used the automatic external defibrillator to save a man’s life at a four-wheel drive race near Cincinnati.
“I’ve been lugging that sucker around for five years, everywhere I go,” said Schrand of the AED the city assigned him as a communitybased responder. An AED restores normal heart rhythm after cardiac arrest.
On Aug. 23, Schrand, working security at the Gravelrama 4 Wheel Drive races in Cleves, along with his nephews Danny Schrand of Jamestown and Tony Schrand of Beavercreek, saved Roy Wayne.
“I heard a cracking sound,” Schrand said. “Roy had fallen. He was making funny breath sounds, like when the brain is running out of oxygen.”
Schrand couldn’t find a pulse, so he rushed to get the AED out of his jeep. Danny, who works for the Greene Country Sheriff’s Department, started doing chest compressions on Wayne, and Tony, a paramedic, put the pads from the AED on Wayne’s chest.
The three men followed the AED’s electronic instructions, shocking him twice and continuing CPR.
“In a few minutes, Roy was breathing on his own and his heart was beating,” Tom Schrand said.
The next day, the medic crew told them they had a “confirmed save” and congratulated them.
Wayne, 63, of Colerain Twp., credits Schrand and his nephews with saving his life.
“How can you describe it?” Wayne said.
“They’re the best. I’m glad he had that box with him. It saved my life. Even if I was here without him getting me started back, I wonder how much damage the cardiac arrest would have caused.”
Wayne said the main artery to his heart was clogged, and he had two stints placed during his stay in the hospital.
Tom Schrand, 53, a volunteer firefighter for 31 years, last year was honored as Kettering Rotary Club’s volunteer firefighter of the year.
He is a plant manager with Snyder Brick.
This year’s Firefighter Appreciation Week will be Oct. 5-12. From 1 to 3 p.m. Oct. 12, all seven of Kettering’s fire stations will hold open houses.
At 4 p.m., firefighters will demonstrate training after Mayor Donald Patterson swears in new firefighters at station No. 33, 2861 Bobbie Place.