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Wis. firefighters save colleague during cardiac event

Slinger firefighters were getting ready to respond to a call when they noticed a member lost consciousness

By Bill Carey
FireRescue1

SLINGER, Wis. — Slinger firefighters quickly sprang into action to save one of their own when Firefighter Jeff Westphal’s heart stopped inside a fire engine.

Just as he was about to depart for a call on July 27, Westphal lost consciousness, prompting his fellow firefighters to rush to his aid, WISN reported.

“It felt like I was going in slow motion, but yet going so fast,” Captain Timothy Roskopf said.

Roskopf began CPR on Westphal within a minute of his collapse, and the crew used a defibrillator to shock his heart within three minutes. Lifestar medics then rushed him to the hospital, where doctors credited the swift response for saving his life.


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Doctors told Westphal that an electrical issue caused his heart to stop. They installed an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator in his chest, but the doctor expects no long-term effects.

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