โI donโt know what happened once I passed out in the ER, but what I do know for sure is if it wasnโt for the fast, skillful work of Erik (Alter-Reitz, a firefighter/paramedic) and Tyler (Ruiz, an engineer) and the guys at the Bonsall fire station (Station 5 of the North County Fire Protection District), I wouldnโt be here today,โ said Linda Josef of Fallbrook.
She was referring to an incident that took place while she and her husband were driving to the hospitalโs emergency room, when her world changed.ย Linda told her husband that she was beginning to โfeel funnyโ; so, her husband decided to turn into the fire station to seek help.ย The Districtโs medical team at the fire station immediately took steps to assess Lindaโs condition, put her in an ambulance, and headed for a hospital in Oceanside, with her husband following behind in their family car.ย
Within moments of leaving the fire station, her condition deteriorated.ย Erik immediately began to administer the appropriate emergency medical care, including nitroglycerin and inserting IVโs in order to minimize the time needed to save Lindaโs life when they reached the hospitalโs Emergency Room; Tyler hit the lights and sirensโฆdid a U-turnโฆand headed to the Palomar Medical Center in Escondido.ย When they arrived at their destination, the hospitalโs entire medical team was there, waiting for their arrival.ย
Within moments of arriving at the ER, it was โlights outโ for Linda; it was a โcode blueโ event, she explains.ย โAfter I was revived, I was sent to the Catheterization Lab, where my right coronary artery was stented; it had become 100% blocked and without immediate helpโฆI would not have survived.โ
โThey (Erik and Tyler), along with all of the ER people at the hospital have given me a second birth date,โ Linda concludes.ย โThe citizens of Fallbrook are so fortunate to have Erik, Tyler, and the rest of the Bonsall fire station crew here to help us in times of need.โ
