Chattanooga firefighters save woman's life on Riverwalk

In true CFD fashion, our firefighters stepped up to save a woman’s life on the Tennessee Riverwalk. Firefighter Kace Allen (Engine 4 Red Shift) is a rowing coach and was off duty when he saw a stranger in need on February 26th. FF Allen and fellow coach Missy Elliott were taking a group from the rowing center for a run on the Riverwalk when they came upon a woman experiencing a cardiac emergency. Missy called 911, Kace started CPR, and another runner, Ali Dragoo, stopped and helped with CPR. Engine 10 Blue Shift personnel (Captain Robert Roark, Lt. Tiffany Bird, and Senior Firefighter Daniel Santore) and Hamilton County EMS responded to their location. E10 assumed patient care and connected an AED to the patient’s chest. After analyzing, it advised a shock was needed. The patient was shocked one time and then CPR resumed. The patient, Amy Young, regained return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) before being loaded into the ambulance. Amy survived and is in the hospital on her long journey to recovery.

“Amy's heart actually stopped and their immediate action has saved her from any brain damage. There will never be words or actions that can adequately express the gratitude we feel for these amazing people,” said her sister, Christie.

While packing their medical bag on the scene, E10’s crew was approached by Missy Elliott and she informed the firefighters they had helped save her husband’s life on October 14, 2022. Her husband worked at Kenco on Riverside Drive and had suffered a cardiac arrest. E10 Blue was returning from an alarm downtown when the call came in. Upon arrival, they witnessed a co-worker performing CPR on the patient. E10 connected an AED to the patient and a shock was advised. He also regained ROSC before being loaded into the ambulance. Missy’s husband has been doing very well since his cardiac incident and informed them that Kenco now has multiple AEDs throughout the facility. One of their sons who attends UGA has worked to secure AEDs in almost every fraternity house on campus. Their other son is currently working to secure AEDs in locations at Sewanee University.

Medical calls make up nearly 40% of the CFD’s call volume. Our firefighters are all medically trained and that training comes into play at any given moment, whether they’re on duty or off duty. Their life-saving efforts have a profound impact on their community!