August 5, 2020 – Newburg, WI – On Sunday, July 26, 2020 at about 1:45 p.m. the Newburg Fire Department was dispatched to a residence in the Town of Trenton for a report of a vehicle on fire in the driveway, and the fire was threatening the home. When they arrived, a vehicle was found fully involved in fire, and the siding on the home was beginning to melt from the radiant heat of the fire. Fire crews quickly deployed two hose lines, and the fire was brought under control.
The weather conditions at the time included 90-degree temperatures and high humidity, which was stressful on the firefighters who were working in full turn-out gear. During the fire attack, a 49-year-old male firefighter told his crew he was not feeling well. He was quickly removed from the situation and tended to by Newburg Emergency Medical Technicians. It was determined by the EMT’s that the firefighter needed to be transported to the hospital for treatment.
While transporting the firefighter his condition worsened, and he suffered cardiac arrest. CPR was started and a defibrillator was used. Through the efforts of the EMT’s, the firefighter regained a pulse, and was conscious upon arrival at Aurora Grafton.
It was determined the firefighter had suffered from a heart attack, and left untreated, the condition would have been fatal. The firefighter had surgery and has since been released to home. He is doing well and is recovering with his family.
The Newburg Fire Department is an all-volunteer organization whose members are dedicated to serving our community and our neighbors in their time of need. In this instance, it was one of our own who was in need. Due to the quick and decisive action of the entire team, a member of our fire family was saved. We would like to acknowledge the efforts of everyone involved in this incident, and specifically the EMS crew.
This incident also serves as an example of the “chain of survival” in cardiac emergencies: early recognition of symptoms, quickly accessing EMS, timely CPR, and rapid defibrillation. We encourage all of you to become CPR trained.
Respectfully;
Mark Chesak
Chief, Newburg Fire Department
