The quick thinking of two Alabama firefighters, using their AED, saved the life of their fire chief.
On Saturday, May 24, Macedonia Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Mack Crosson and firefighters Chris Jackson and Brian Evans were on their way to the scene of an ATV accident when Chief Crosson suffered a heart attack at the wheel.
“There was no sign, no signal, he just slumped over,” said Jackson, a co-founder of the department, where Crosson, also a founder, has worked for the past ten years ago.
According to Jackson, he was seated next to Crosson and Evans, the department’s fire medic, was riding in the back jump seat. Jackson took over control of the truck and managed to pull it over. They got their chief, who was not breathing, out of the truck and Evans immediately started CPR while Jackson got the medical equipment, including the AED, out of the fire truck.
“We shocked him one time and he started coming around,” said Jackson. “Him [Evans] being a medic was a very valuable asset.”
Jackson went on to express his gratitude to The Alabama Association of Volunteer Firefighters, Northeast Alabama EMS, and Alabama Power, all of whom helped the stations throughout the state get defibrillators. Each Alabama fire department has received a defibrillator and MVFD uses theirs on the department’s primary response vehicle, which is their pumper.
According to Jackson, Chief Crosson is doing better and is currently awaiting a heart catheterization at the University of Alabama Hospital at Birmingham.