By MES Dispatch staff
The Briefing
• A Delaware firefighter suffered a heart attack during training and was revived by colleagues who performed CPR and used an AED.
• The incident occurred in March at the Delaware Fire School in Kent County.
• The firefighter, identified as Brandywine Hundred Fire Company Deputy Chief Steve Hammerer, was fitted with stents and is recovering.
• Officials said early CPR and early AED use contributed to saving his life.
KENT COUNTY, DE — A Delaware firefighter survived a heart attack suffered during a training session in March after fellow firefighters performed CPR and applied an automated external defibrillator, officials said.
Brandywine Hundred Fire Company Deputy Chief Steve Hammerer, 47, collapsed following an intense day of training at the Delaware Fire School, according to local reports. Colleagues immediately began CPR and used an AED, restoring his pulse within seconds.
Officials described Hammerer’s breathing as agonal and his pulse weak before the defibrillator was used. After receiving shocks and medical care, including the placement of stents, he regained consciousness and later reunited with some of the personnel who assisted in his care.
Hammerer is not expected to return to active duty on a fire truck in the near term as he continues recovery, but remains optimistic about his progress.
Deputy Fire Chief Gordon Davis of the Delaware Fire School highlighted the importance of immediate lifesaving interventions, saying early CPR and AED application “save lives” following the incident.