Brandywine Hundred Deputy Chief Steve Hammerer collapsed, but fellow firefighters quickly performed CPR and used an AED

KENT COUNTY, Del. — A Delaware firefighter is alive after suffering a heart attack during a training session in March when fellow firefighters rushed to save him.

Brandywine Hundred Fire Company Deputy Chief Steve Hammerer, 47, collapsed after an intense day of training at the Delaware Fire School in March, NBC Philadelphia reported. Hammerer said his heart had failed.

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Within seconds of his collapse, fellow firefighters began CPR, and he regained a pulse after being shocked with a defibrillator.

Deputy Fire Chief Gordon Davis of the Delaware Fire School said Hammerer had agonal breathing and a weak pulse in his neck.

“As soon as they put the defibrillator on me, it advised them to shock, which they say is kinda rare,” Hammerer said. “They shocked me, and I popped right up.”

Hammerer, fitted with stents and facing additional treatment, reunited with some of the people who helped save his life.

Although he is not expected to return to duty on a Brandywine Hundred fire truck anytime soon, Hammerer is recovering and said he hopes others take away a lifesaving lesson from his experience.

“Early CPR and early AED application save lives, it’s that simple,” Davis said.

Does your department train on firefighter-down CPR? Are AEDs accessible at your training center?

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