During a CPR training session, EMT instructor Karl Arps suffered a sudden heart attack, leading to cardiac arrest. Students at Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wis., promptly responded to the emergency on March 25. Arps, who recalls feeling dizzy before losing consciousness, credits the students for following CPR protocols and saving his life.
One of the students, Logan Lehrer, a firefighter training as an Emergency Medical Technician, noticed Arps’s distress and alerted another instructor, Traci Blondeau. The students acted swiftly, with Lehrer calling 911 while others performed CPR and used a defibrillator under guidance.
First responders from Gold Cross Ambulance and Greenville First Responders commended the students for their quick actions, emphasizing the importance of early recognition and intervention in cardiac arrest cases. According to the American Red Cross, bystander CPR and defibrillation significantly increase survival rates in such situations.
Arps, who underwent triple-bypass surgery, expressed gratitude for the students’ efforts and his miraculous recovery. He plans to return to work soon and has visited the school to thank his students personally. Lehrer highlighted the learning experience of responding to emergencies, while Arps acknowledged the students’ attentiveness and quick response during the critical situation.