Rockville Centre firefighters save a man's life

Rockville Centre Fire Department Chief Scott Mohr received a dispatch call on May 30 regarding a car that had crashed into a house along Rockville Avenue.

Chief Mohr arrived at the scene less than two minutes later and, with the assistance of Ex-Chief Michael Lapkowski, pulled the pulseless victim from the driver's seat.

“I was a little bit caught off guard,” Chief Mohr said. “I wasn’t expecting a medical emergency at first.”

Lieutenant John Cook arrived shortly thereafter and was instructed by Chief Mohr to perform CPR on the man while he ran to retrieve the automated external defibrillator from his vehicle. Lt. John Grandazza also assisted in performing CPR. After attaching the AED pads onto the victim, the device analyzed the man’s condition and advised that a shock was needed.

“The victim was in ventricular fibrillation,” Mohr said. “(His heart) was not functioning properly.”

A shock was delivered, followed by continued CPR until a Northwell ambulance arrived on the scene with a paramedic and EMT on board. The victim was placed onto a stretcher and transported to Mount Sinai South Nassau Hospital in Oceanside.

Following the incident, Mohr contacted one of the supervisors at the hospital, who provided an update on the patient, identified as Robert Smith, 59, of 44 Rockville Avenue.

The supervisor informed him that Smith initially recovered from cardiac arrest in the ICU. He was successfully extubated, awake, breathing on his own, following commands, and neurologically intact, according to the supervisor’s report.

However, Smith later went into cardiac arrest again. He was successfully resuscitated for the second time in the ICU and taken to the cardiac cath lab, where he was placed on an Impella pump — a machine that pumps blood for the heart. He was transferred to Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan for open-heart surgery to undergo a complete bypass. Thanks to the efforts of the Rockville Centre Fire Department, Smith is expected to make a complete recovery.

“He has a long road ahead of him,” Chief Mohr said, “but he’s going to make a full recovery.”

Cook expressed his relief upon hearing that Smith and his family were doing well following the incident.

“In the moment you’re not really thinking about that. You’re just doing what you’re trained to do,” Cook said. “It’s a good feeling to know that you made an impact on someone’s life.”

Rockville Centre Mayor Francis Murray commended Chief Mohr and Lt. Cook for responding to the scene with remarkable speed, professionalism, and expertise.

“Their prompt assessment and immediate initiation of life-saving measures, including CPR and defibrillation, were crucial in reviving the individual and stabilizing his condition until further medical assistance arrived,” Murray said in a statement. “The dedication, skill, and composure demonstrated by both Chief Mohr and Lieutenant Cook under such critical circumstances is truly commendable. Their actions not only reflect the highest standards of the fire service but also underscore their unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of the community.”

Comprised of more than 320 volunteer members, the Rockville Centre Fire Department is one of the largest in the state. Everyone who responded to the scene came from their homes to help a neighbor in need.

The incident on May 30 was not just a stark reminder of the unpredictability of emergency calls and the necessity for quick thinking and decisive action but also an example of the impact volunteer firefighters have in their community.

Smith joined members of the Rockville Centre Fire Department at the Fire Council meeting on July 16, to present awards to Chief Mohr, Ex-Chief Lapkowski and Lt. Cook for successfully saving his life.