Several members of the Whispering Pines Fire Rescue Department were recognized during a recent Whispering Pines Village Council meeting for their role in a February emergency response that saved a man’s life.
Fire Rescue Chief Rich Lambdin praised the actions of firefighters and emergency medical personnel during the council’s Wednesday evening meeting, commending their teamwork alongside Moore County Emergency Medical Services and Moore County Public Safety.
Lambdin explained that the fire department is dispatched to medical emergencies within its district to provide basic life support until county EMS crews arrive. The department currently has 20 personnel certified as emergency medical technicians, and all members are trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
County EMS units, staffed with at least one state-certified paramedic, provide both basic and advanced life support, including airway management, IV therapy, and cardiac monitoring, as well as patient transport to the hospital.
The response that prompted the recognition occurred Feb. 17 at 6:34 p.m., when dispatchers received a 911 call reporting a person “turning blue” on Vass-Carthage Road. Within 28 seconds, fire and EMS units were dispatched, said the Village of Whispering Pines in its newsletter.
Responding in Squad 51 were Firefighter/EMT Jen DeBerry, Lt. Andrew Drummond, and Firefighter/EMT Logan Felder. Dispatchers later advised responding units that CPR was in progress.
The crew arrived about five minutes after the initial call and found an unresponsive adult man inside a vehicle while a bystander attempted CPR. Firefighters moved the man to the ground and determined he was not breathing but still had a weak pulse.
The crew began basic life support care, providing rescue breathing, administering Narcan, and inserting an airway device to help maintain the patient’s breathing.
At 6:44 p.m., Medic 30 from Moore County Emergency Medical Services arrived and initiated advanced life support treatment, including establishing an IV and administering medications.
Additional personnel from the Whispering Pines Fire Rescue Department also responded, including Assistant Chief Glenn Boles, Firefighter/EMT Logan DeBerry, and Capt. Doug McCumber. Responders rotated duties as they maintained the patient’s airway, ventilated him, and continued treatment.
At 6:54 p.m., the patient was loaded into an ambulance while still unresponsive and not breathing. Several minutes later, while crews continued care on scene, the patient regained consciousness and began breathing on his own.
The man was transported to FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital at about 7:07 p.m., roughly 32 minutes after the original 911 call. He was later discharged from the hospital shortly after midnight.
Lambdin said the outcome was the result of training and coordination between emergency responders and dispatchers.
“This outstanding outcome was a direct result of the first responders’ training and teamwork, while sharing a common goal of providing the best possible care to the patient,” said Lambdin. “Without their actions, it is probable the patient would not be alive today. On behalf of the Village of Whispering Pines, I commend each of you for a job well done! Your actions reflect positively on each of you as individuals, as well as Moore County Public Safety & EMS and the Whispering Pines Fire Rescue Department as a whole.”
Feature photo via Whispering Pines Fire Rescue. Not pictured, Logan Felder.
Abegail Murphy | Assistant Editor
Written by Sandhills Sentinel assistant editor Abegail Murphy. Abegail has been writing for Sandhills Sentinel since 2021.
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