Man flatlines at fire station door

BY Aprile McKinnon

By Aprile DeAnne McKinnon

Reporter, The Friday Flyer

Dale Erwin, a 72-year-old resident of Canyon Lake for the past three decades, drove himself to the Canyon Lake Fire Station on Labor Day, rang the door buzzer and shortly thereafter was laying on a gurney having his stopped heart shocked to get it restarted.

The EMTs at the station saved his life.

Dale was alone at his house when he thought he was having a heart attack. He decided to drive the two minutes to the fire station instead of calling 911.

Dale woke up that day at 6:30 a.m. It was Labor Day and he was excited about what the day held for him. He had plans for boating, barbecuing and enjoying his waterfront property. Dale made his usual morning coffee when he felt an unusual sensation of pain in his chest and back area.

Dale wasn’t sure what was happening. He wondered if he was having mere heartburn. He then felt a slight numbness creep up his left arm. He knew he was in trouble.

Dale had to face a crucial decision. Dale’s wife was out of town on a family emergency, and Dale realized he was having an emergency of his own. Dale needed to decide if he should call 911, which potentially would leave Dale alone and possibly render him unconscious while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Or he could drive himself the two minutes it would take to reach the fire station just down the road in hopes of getting the quick care he knew he would need.

Dale, a retired police officer, knew how crucial time is when there is an emergency. He hopped in his car and drove to the station. Dale rang the station’s buzzer and the door promptly swung open. He was met by firefighter Ryan Moore. Dale was lucky that the Canyon Lake Fire Department’s C-Shift personnel were there and not out on a call.

Dale informed the firefighter that he thought he was having a heart attack and he entered the fire station. Within moments he was connected to an EKG machine and sitting in a chair being observed by the team.

“We all worked very great together,” Ryan said. “AMR was here as well. As we put him on a gurney things began to change. His heart stopped beating. We had everything ready to go and we shocked his heart twice. We regained pulses and we were talking with him within a minute or two. The minute your heart stops you have minutes before your percentages of survival go down. We are very honored and grateful that we could be here.”

It is not recommended that residents drive to the fire department when in medical distress, Fire Department Chief Jeff LaTendresse said. In Ryan’s case, it worked out.

“If someone does come to the fire station, we do encourage them to use 911,” Jeff said. “If we are not here, there is a red emergency phone box located outside and they could pick up the phone and be immediately connected to a dispatcher. We could have been out training or on another call.”

After his pulse was restored, Dale was prepped to be taken to Loma Linda Hospital in Murrieta. One of the firefighters took Dale’s phone and asked who to call to let them know of the situation and Dale instructed him to call his family. Dale was informed that Loma Linda Hospital was on standby waiting to receive him to give him the care he needed.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Dale was rushed into the emergency room, where he underwent preparations for his upcoming procedures. An angiogram revealed blockages, and an angioplasty was swiftly performed, during which four stents were implanted to open up his arteries.

After being released by the hospital, Dale paid a visit to the fire department and those who saved his life. City representatives were at the fire station for Dale’s thank you visit to the department and recognized the fantastic work the firefighters did for Dale.

Dale expressed heartfelt gratitude to the heroes and angels who played a crucial role in saving his life that Labor Day when he showed up at their door.

Dale later contacted The Friday Flyer in hopes of spreading the word to those in Canyon Lake regarding his gratitude for those at the fire station who so expertly saved his life.