Hall Ambulance Founder & President Harvey L. Hall, presented Paramedic Eric Petersen and EMT Jeremy Capps with a Company Star of Life, during the February 2014 Shift Meetings.

On January 20, 2014 Hall Ambulance Advanced Life Support Unit staffed by Paramedic Eric Petersen and EMT Mike Hilliard were dispatched to a woman choking. Upon arrival they found a woman sitting on the ground cyanotic and choking.

First Responders on scene had attempted abdominal thrusts as they tried to clear the foreign object. The patient was unable to speak and scared as her conditioned worsened. Paramedic Petersen stood the patient up and attempted abdominal thrusts without success.

The patient lost consciousness, pulses, and spontaneous respirations. Chest compressions were started and ECG obtained showing pulseless sinus tachycardia. Paramedic Petersen visualized the airway with a laryngoscope and used Mcgill forceps to remove food from the airway. An attempt was made to ventilate without success. Paramedic Petersen prepared an endotracheal tube for placement. When he went to visualize the vocal cords, he again found food blocking the airway. He used McGill forceps again to clear the airway. Patient immediately began to breath. Spontaneous circulation returned.

The patient was loaded into the ambulance with ventilations supported by bag valve mask. During transport, the patient began to regain consciousness and by arrival at the emergency room the patient was alert and oriented. From the time of call to arrival at scene was seven minutes followed by 11 minutes on scene and six minute transport. The timely and professional care provided by Paramedic Eric Petersen and EMT Mike Hilliard has directly resulted in a saved life.