By Jim West
The Albany Herald
ALBANY, Ga. — The Exchange Club of Albany recently honored two members of the community’s public safety community, each credited with helping to save a life under extraordinary circumstances.
David Smith, a six-year veteran of the Albany Fire Department, was named Exchange Club’s Firefighter of the Year for his efforts in rescuing of man from a burning building.
According to the narrative delivered by Ron Rowe, deputy chief of the Albany Fire Department, early on the morning of June 8, Smith was one of the first firefighters to arrive at a burning house at 414 Dorsett Ave.
The fire crew, including Smith, immediately made entry to the home and begin searching for any occupants. Smith and fellow firefighter Josh Olsen encountered fire on the front porch and inside the front room, Rowe said, but continued to search the apartment and found a victim. Douglas Green, lying partially beneath a bed where he had attempted to avoid the smoke and flames, was unresponsive, Rowe said.
Smith led the removal of Green while helping to protect him further injuries. Once outside, Smith found no evidence of breathing and only a weak pulse, Rowe said. Smith performed rescue breathing with an Artificial Manual Breathing Unit (AMBU). Eventually, the victim began to gasp about twice each minute.
Green survived his ordeal, Rowe said, but only because of Smith’s quick response and outstanding performance.
“When you’re in a situation like that, your training takes over,” Smith said. “You don’t even think about it. Everything is a team effort.”
Jessica Galvin, with Dougherty County Emergency Medical Services, was honored as the Exchange Club’s EMT of the Year, the first time the award has been given to a woman, according to Greg Rowe, EMS director.
Where Smith’s major obstacles were smoke and fire, On Sept. 2, Galvin was faced with rain and lighting, which already had struck a 21- year old Albany resident. According to Greg Rowe, the rain that day was so heavy EMTs had trouble finding the address of the emergency call and wound up wading through ankle-deep water to the sounds of “over here, over here.” The victim had gone into cardiac arrest and bystanders were administering CPR.
“It would have been easier for the EMTs to have just put the victim in the ambulance,” Rowe said. “But Jessica quickly sized up the situation and decided we’d do business right there.”
Eventually, Galvin made the call to move the victim in the ambulance, but rain was falling so intensely the EMTs had some trouble finding it, even though it was across the street.
“A lot of people don’t realize the environment we work in,” Rowe said. “If it’s 110 degrees outside or cold sleet and rain, we’re in the middle of it.”
Galvin’s quick and decisive actions are credited in large part for the victim’s survival.
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©2014 The Albany Herald, Ga.