A Crystal Lake woman reunited with the Long Grove firefighter-paramedics and 911 dispatcher who saved her life when she went into cardiac arrest in Lake Zurich.
Terri Basler, a 61-year-old woman from Crystal Lake, left her office at the Kemper Lakes Business Center in Lake Zurich in the afternoon of November 11.
Once Basler got to her car, she felt like she couldn’t breathe, so she called 911, Long Grove Fire Protection District Battalion Chief Kristine Mullen said.
Rebecca Oakes, an alarm operator for the Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) Center in Northbrook, which dispatches for the Long Grove Fire Protection District, answered Basler’s 911 call.
Oakes determined the location of Basler’s call and dispatched an ambulance and fire engine from the Long Grove Fire Protection District.
While firefighter/paramedics rushed to the location, Oakes instructed Basler to start her car, unlock the doors and turn her hazard lights on.
Basler was barely able to give Oakes a description of her car because she had trouble breathing.
“While attempting to provide Ms. Basler with pre-arrival medical instructions, she was no longer able to communicate,” Mullen said.
Oakes was able to determine that Basler was likely experiencing cardiac arrest from the sounds in the 911 call.
Oakes upgraded the incident and continued to update firefighter/paramedics of the situation while they were enroute.
Crews arrived on scene within six minutes and found Basler was in cardiac arrest, Mullen said.
“Immediate life-saving measures began and advanced life support was provided. These actions continued on the scene for 13 minutes and for another 8 minutes during transport,” Mullen added.
When the ambulance arrived at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington, Basler had a pulse and was breathing on her own.
Basler was hospitalized for several days before recovering and returning home.
Basler reunited with the firefighter/paramedics and dispatcher who saved her life at the Long Grove Fire Protection District Board of Trustees meeting on Monday.
Long Grove Fire Protection District Lieutenant Billy Eisner, Firefighter/Paramedic Jake Gross, Firefighter/Paramedic Nick McDowell, Firefighter/Paramedic Brad Roberts, Firefighter/Paramedic Tom Gattuso and Firefighter/Paramedic Cayden Hilgers were presented with the Unit Life Saving Award.
Oakes was presented with the Special Recognition Life Saving Award.
“It is very rare that our personnel know the outcome of the patients that they deliver to the hospital,” Long Grove Fire Protection District Chief Paul Segalla said.
“This incident gave our responders great relief that Ms. Basler responded to their life-saving measures. As an immense bonus, they were able to reunite with her at the Board of Trustees meeting and have her participate in the awards ceremony,” Segalla added.