Carefree Truth

Issue #46, April 8, 2010

 

    

    At the April  6th Carefree Town Council meeting, a terrible tragedy was narrowly averted due to an amazing combination of circumstances.  Ned Dobak, moments after speaking at Call to the Public,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGnFzuWmx1o, suffered a severe heart attack.  Rather than a silent attack, his body reacted violently, alerting the people in the room to the  problem.

    

 

    Fortunately, Chief John Kraetz, the Rural/Metro Fire Chief for Carefree and Cave Creek, and Lt. Rich Burden, the District 4 Commander with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department (MCSO), were in attendance as usual.  They immediately rode to the rescue, along with Vice Mayor Glen Miller who is a retired firefighter also trained in Emergency Medical Services.

    

    

    As a number of people were dialing 911, Mr. Dobak was placed on the floor and the room was cleared of occupants in an orderly manner.  First, Vice Mayor Miller checked to make sure it was not a seizure causing the tongue to block the airway.  Chief Kraetz began CPR and hooked Mr. Dobak up to the portable defibrillator which was generously donated to the Town by Nancy LaPierre a few years ago.  Lt. Burden directed the team effort, keeping everyone coordinated and on track.

 

 

    The quick and professional actions of these three heroes and the immediate availability of the donated defibrillator saved Mr. Dobak's life.  It was a truly amazing scene.  Due to the immediate proximity of the Carefree Fire Station, the paramedics arrived quickly, helped with further stabilization, and took Mr. Dobak to the hospital.  Due to the treatment he received prior to and after their arrival, he not only survived the incident but his doctors have reported that there was no damage to his heart.  He will be released from the hospital soon.

 

 

    Ned Dobak is widely respected and liked.  Many of us would like to thank the men who saved his life and Mrs. LaPierre who donated the machine that gave them the primary tool to do so.  The doctors said that without the defibrillator and the decisive actions of the three man team, he would not be with us today.  It was the most frightening scene I have ever witnessed and also the most inspiring.  

 

 

    While there are some who question the wisdom of Carefree's expenditures to contract with MCSO and Rural/Metro, and who continue to oppose our fire station, this incident proves these services are priceless.  One can not put a monetary value on the ability to save even a single life.    

 

Lyn Hitchon    

 

 

 

Prepared by Carefree Truth

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Since many do not have the time to attend Council meetings, audio/video clips are a new feature on the website.  To view them, click on the Audio/Video tab.  We will continue to add them, so keep checking.