Macungie Honors First Responders Who Saved Man's Life

Philip Solomon never expected to wind up a medical miracle when he attended the Wheels of Time Car Jamboree in Macungie Memorial Park in August. But, that's exactly what happened when the otherwise healthy 59-year-old Mertztown man suffered a heart attack when walking out of the park with his wife Kitty on Aug. 24.

Macungie Ambulance Corps. Operations Manager Chris Greb told Solomon's story during a special recognition program at the beginning of Monday night's Macungie Borough Council meeting. During the program the Macungie first responders who helped to save Solomon were honored by borough council, Macungie Mayor Gary Cordner and State Rep. Ryan Mackenzie for their heroic efforts.

According to Greb, Solomon's wife Kitty and others nearby quickly called for help after Solomon collapsed, ultimately bringing two Macungie Borough Police Officers and seven Macungie Ambulance Corps. crew members to the scene who administered a spectrum of lifesaving measures to Solomon over a 20-minute period, including manual CPR, nine electric shocks with an AED, and a variety of drugs, finally attaching an automated chest compression device known as a LUCAS. 

The LUCAS is used to mechanically perform the chest compression part of CPR, Greb explains. It helps ensure compressions are performed at the proper rate and depth and frees up medical personnel to perform other life-saving tasks.

Once the LUCAS device was attached, Greb says, Solomon became so alert that he was able to respond to police officers and medical personnel trying to save him and even answer some questions, despite the fact that CPR was being performed and his heart was not beating. To the best of his knowledge, Greb says, this is the first time a cardiac arrest patient with no pulse and the ability to speak before reaching the hospital has been reported 

Solomon was in the process of being transported to Lehigh Valley Hospital - Cedar Crest when, about 20 minutes after he suffered cardiac arrest, he regained a pulse. In fact, he was actually awake and alert when the ambulance reached the hospital.

Greb points out that the chances of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are generally considered to be less than 10 percent in the United States. With training, teamwork, and innovative tools like the LUCAS, he says, Macungie first responders help their patients to consistently beat those odds. 

Editor's Note: This story is based on a presentation made by Macungie Ambulance Corps. Operations Manager Christopher Greb at Monday night's Macungie Borough Council meeting and a written report by Greb following the Aug. 24 incident at Wheels of Time.