Stamford Firefighter Of The Year 2009: Captain Matt Palmer

[x635 4,066]

Congrats Matt!!

From: http://www.local786.org/

Captain Palmer Honored As Stamford Fire Fighter of the Year for 2009

Updated On: Oct 27, 2009 (15:59:00)

Thursday, October 22, 2009 - On Thursday, October 22, 2009, Stamford Fire and Rescue Captain Matthew Palmer was honored as Stamford's Fire Fighter of the Year for 2009. Palmer was recognized at the annual "Salute to Connecticut's Bravest" dinner hosted by the Connecticut Exchange Club. The event was held at the Aqua Turf Club in Southington (CT) and recognizes Fire Fighters from across the State.

Captain Palmer was nominated for his off-duty efforts in reviving a man found unconscious on a sidewalk while he was on his way home from work. The man was in cardiac arrest and Captain Palmer immediately began CPR until the members of the Hamden Fire Department arrived on scene.

Thanks to the efforts of Captain Palmer, an off-duty LPN, and the members of the Hamden Fire Department, the man was discharged from the hospital less than two weeks later and has fully recovered.

In an interesting twist of fate, the man turned out to be the Brother-in-Law of Captain Palmer's next door neighbor.

[Remember585 815]

Good job Captain!

This is why people should learn CPR, you never know who you may have to help. I've always felt that CPR should be taught in High School and offered routinely in every community. NYS wants to make some money...make every driver pay $5 every two years to take a CPR class to keep their license!

[jayhalsey 6]

Good job Captain!

This is why people should learn CPR, you never know who you may have to help. I've always felt that CPR should be taught in High School and offered routinely in every community. NYS wants to make some money...make every driver pay $5 every two years to take a CPR class to keep their license!

We were taught CPR in middle school. When I say we, I mean everyone in my grade. I think it was eigth grade.

Edited November 20, 2009 by jayhalsey

[efdcapt115 1,511]

Congrats on the save and the well deserved honor Captain Palmer!

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Good job Captain!

This is why people should learn CPR, you never know who you may have to help. I've always felt that CPR should be taught in High School and offered routinely in every community. NYS wants to make some money...make every driver pay $5 every two years to take a CPR class to keep their license!

I was taught CPR three times in K-12, 7th grade, 8th grade and 10th grade. However, in 11th grade when I was going for my recert at my FD, the person who I had to practice and model on was my health teacher who had taught me CPR the year before in 10th grade. To say the least, when ever I did something wrong during the rcert, I heard it from chief and from my teacher...it was not good.

I think CPR should be one of those things that everyone knows, I like the mandatory cert with a drivers license.

Congrats to Capt. Palmer, good job, nice save.

[x152 179]

Seth and all, thanks for the kinds words and props.

I still keep in touch with the patient and I am happy to say that he is doing extremely well. Having done CPR on countless occasions in more than 20 years of EMS experience, this was one of the very small percentile of patients that literally comes back with little or no long-term effect from the arrest. It is nice to see such a positive outcome and to such a good guy.

Getting an award is nice, but there are plenty of other people on my job that do great things every day that go unnoticed and are probably more deserving. The greatest acknowledgment that I did receive came from the family of the patient this past August. The family had a large family reunion weekend to celebrate their Dad's/Grandpa's second chance and during the reunion took a family photo that they all signed and sent to me in card saying "thanks for letting us have this weekend", there really is no award better than seeing something like that.....

Thanks again-

MTP

Edited November 21, 2009 by x152