By Irene Rotondo
masslive.com
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. — A Bridgewater man survived a potentially fatal circular saw injury at his home Tuesday, with officials crediting the efforts of police officers and paramedics — some of whose training included active-shooter exercises and procedures practiced in a cadaver lab.
The incident happened at a home on South Street in Bridgewater around 4:12 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Bridgewater Police and Fire Departments. A man had fallen at the home and cut his leg with a circular saw.
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Bridgewater police officers were the first at the scene and took over from the 911 caller to stop the bleeding with quick-clot gauze and a tourniquet.
Then, Bridgewater Fire Paramedics arrived to give blood and fluid replacement, loaded the man into a waiting ambulance — and were met en route to the hospital by the Canton Fire Department blood transfusion unit, who gave additional life-saving help.
Police Chief Christopher D. Delmonte and Fire Chief John Schlatz said the police, firefighters and support staff involved in the rescue “worked together calmly, quickly and professionally in order to save a life.”
“I’d like to credit the responding officers and firefighters in this incident,” said Chief Delmonte.
“This was a very distressing incident, yet our Bridgewater first responders worked together ... (and) the actions taken by our officers reflected skills our Fire and Police Departments practiced during their annual joint Active Shooter/Hostile Event Response Training,” Delmonte said.
Chief Schlatz said the incident showed “great work by our Bridgewater firefighters and police officers that ended up saving a life” and their actions were “a credit to their training and professionalism.”
“Those actions included a humeral head IO line, which was something they practiced during their training held at a cadaver lab,” Schlatz said.
“We were honored to hear from one of the trauma surgeons involved in this incident, who stated that the actions and efforts of our team were instrumental in preventing what could have been a tragedy.”
The incident is still under investigation by the Bridgewater Police Department.
