Palm Coast Man Thanks firefighters who Helped Save his Life

When cardiac arrest occurs, every second counts. That was true for Palm Coast resident Mark Leinemann who has lived to share his story.

On Sunday, July 9, 2023, Mark and his wife Sharon were sharing the burden of yard work.  They recently relocated to Palm Coast from Maryland for the beautiful weather and appeasing aesthetics.  That Sunday our community was experiencing the beginning of a heat wave. Little did Mark know that he was experiencing signs of a heart attack, known medically as Acute Myocardial Infarction. His wife didn’t notice anything wrong until she came back outside to find Mark on the ground, unresponsive. She called 911 and immediately began CPR.

Flagler County Sheriff Office Communications Specialist First Class Megan Burton answered Sharon’s 911 call and provided CPR instructions over the phone until the Palm Coast Fire Department Upon the arrival of Palm Coast Fire Engine 22, the crew of Lt. Richard Cline, Driver Engineer Julie Rivera, and Firefighter-EMT Tyler Major found Mark in cardiac arrest.

Cardiac arrest is an electrical malfunction in the heart that causes an irregular heartbeat – also known as arrhythmia – that disrupts the flow of blood to the brain, lungs and the organs. It is a leading cause of death, with more than 350,000 cardiac arrests occurring outside the hospital each year in the United States. Unfortunately, nearly 90 percent of those people die.

When a person has a cardiac arrest, their survival depends on immediately getting CPR and medical attention. The American Heart Association says CPR can double or triple a person’s chance of survival if performed in the first few minutes.

So it was fortunate that Mark received CPR performed by his wife, Sharon. Upon arrival, Driver Engineer-Paramedic Julie Rivera led the resuscitation efforts, assisted by the Flagler County Fire Rescue 21 crew (Firefighter-Paramedic Colin Dills and Firefighter Paramedic Colin Errett) that responded in an ambulance. They performed Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) interventions including manual defibrillation, intravenous drug therapy, airway intubation and maintaining high quality CPR. Their efforts resulted in Mark regaining a pulse and spontaneous breathing on scene. The physicians and staff at Advent Health Palm Coast continued post-resuscitation care, and Mark has since been released from the hospital.  Fire Chief Kyle Berryhill celebrates the first responders intervention, ““Amazing work by Flagler Sheriff Dispatchers, Palm Coast Firefighters, Flagler County Firefighters, and Sharon Leinemann that led to an amazing result”, stated Chief Berryhill “Early CPR saves lives and Mr. Leinemann is here today because of his wife’s actions, our dispatcher’s instructions, and the quick response of PCFD”.

When visiting the first responders who saved his life, Mark stated, “I remember mowing the lawn, then waking up three days later in the ICU”.  The Leinemann family visited Palm Coast Fire Station 22 to meet and thank the Engine 22 and Rescue 21 crew who saved his life. Because of the extraordinary chain of events on July 9, Mark is here today as one of the 10 percent of people who survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Preparation for situations like this is the result of ongoing training and cooperative efforts of Palm Coast firefighters, Flagler County Fire Rescue, and Advent Health Palm Coast. Dr. Kristin McCabe, who is the medical director for Flagler County/Palm Coast Fire Services emphasizes the importance of cooperative training.  “The chain of survival is successful when bystanders initiate CPR,” stated Dr. Kristin McCabe “Having the knowledge and skills to perform CPR increases the chances of survivability, the commitment of our EMS teams to improving our out-of-hospital survival rates as well as quality assurance activities to reinforce evidence-based practices associated with best outcomes”. Earlier this summer Flagler County Fire Rescue was awarded the Mission: Lifeline EMS Silver award by the American Heart Association. 

The Palm Coast Fire Department reminds everyone of the importance of early CPR and how to recognize a heart attack. Most heart attacks do not lead to cardiac arrest. However, when cardiac arrest occurs, a heart attack is a common cause.

Do not wait to get help if you experience any of these heart attack warning signs. Although some heart attacks are sudden and intense, most start slowly with mild pain or discomfort. Pay attention to your body — and call 911 if you feel:

1. Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
2. Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach. 
3. Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort. 
4. Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

The Palm Coast Fire Department regularly offers First Aid and CPR/AED classes that teach basic first aid skills that include giving CPR to an infant, young child, or an adult and using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). For more information or to sign up, visit https://www.palmcoast.gov/fire/community-safety.

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