Bel Air Man Saved By Police And Fire Personnel

BEL AIR, MD — A Bel Air man who collapsed doing yard work thanked the first responders who helped save his life this week. The Bel Air Police Department and Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company shared the story.

Dispatcher Jessica Carpenter took the call at the Bel Air Police Department on Saturday, Sept. 29, and alerted first responders that John Herzog was having a heart attack.

Within two minutes, police who had been around the corner arrived at the scene. Officer First Class Logan Walsh, Officer First Class John Ganovski and Acting Corporal Kayhla Hendren began cardiopulmonary resuscitation, better known as CPR, police said.

Moments later, fire crews arrived and provided provided advanced life support, according to Rich Gardiner of the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company.

"Because of the early CPR and early defibrillation, crews were able to regain a pulse on scene..." Gardiner said. Herzog was taken to Upper Chesapeake Medical Center, where he was treated in the intensive care unit and released within a few days, Gardiner reported on Saturday, Oct. 6.

The Herzog family delivered a care package from Mission BBQ to the first responders as a show of thanks, to which the Bel Air Police Department responded with its own message of gratitude.

"Thank you Herzog family, for the care package and for inviting us to celebrate the gift of life with you and your loved one," the police department posted on its Facebook page. The agency also recognized the various groups that contributed to the collaborative work to save the Bel Air man's life.

"Quick and heroic efforts and teamwork by everyone, to include those who initially reported the incident, rapid and efficient dispatching, heroic life-saving CPR and other medical efforts by police, fire services, and medical services all worked seamlessly to save a life," the Bel Air Police Department said in a statement on Friday, Oct. 5.

Fire officials reflected on the success of the emergency response and encouraged the public to get involved.

"A call for help activated a system that relies on all its parts to work as a whole to ensure the best outcome possible," Gardiner said. "Please, if this is ever the reason to learn CPR, how to use an AED [automated external defibrillator], and maybe even become part of the system itself, then we don't know what else is."

The Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company offers a monthly CPR class to the public, Gardiner said.

For those who would like to get more information, the Bel Air Volunteer Fire Company is hosting an open house on Saturday, Oct. 13, from noon to 4 p.m.

Photos outside the police station and showing the trio of officers are courtesy of the Bel Air Police Department. Photo of the group in the Bel Air firehouse on Hickory Avenue is courtesy of John Gallagher, BAVFC.