Quick response saves life of Braidwood man

Braidwood Crews responded to a call for a man in cardiac arrest in January at his home. Emma Wallerich called 911 after her husband Gary collapsed. Under the direction of Wescom 911 dispatchers Emma started CPR. Minutes later, BFPD crews arrived and took over care of Gary. In the ambulance Gary Wallerich received advanced life support care, multiple doses of life saving medications, and was defibrillated three times. He regained a pulse and started breathing on his own minutes away from the ER. On April 5 BFPD crews met Gary and Emma Wallerich along with family at the fire station, and received Life Saving Awards. In attendance were Paramedics Saunoris, Williams, and Cabada, along with EMT’s Zackavec, and Travis. Braidwood Police Officer Savarino was also awarded for his assistance at the scene. BFPD would like to urge its citizens to learn CPR, whether it is Hands-Only, or a full course including First Aid. CPR saves lives, and we are so proud of Emma for performing CPR on her husband until our crews arrived. If you are interested in taking a CPR class, please contact Dylan at dwilliams@braidwoodfire.org.