Six Brookfield Fire Department personnel and a policeman were presented with lifesaving awards May 23 by Sharon Regional Medical Center.
Named were: Mike Rudinsky, a firefighter and emergency medical technician; police Cpl. Ron Mann; Firefighter/EMT Steven Dixon; fire Lt. Nick Cresanto; Rich Fink, a firefighter and paramedic; Firefighter/Paramedic David Stock; and Firefighter/Paramedic Tom Young.
The men were honored for their responses in two heart attack calls, and Cresanto was named Brookfield EMS Professional of the Year.
“Our local EMS professionals live and work in our communities,” said Joseph Hugar, president of Sharon Regional. “They are the difference makers many times in very stressful, intense medical situations and are a vital part of our team here at Sharon Regional Medical Center. In a variety of circumstances, our emergency department team could not perform at the level of expertise in which they perform if not for the quick responses and communications of EMS providers in the field.”
One of the men Brookfield first-responders treated, Randall Rakich, attended the event.
“Mr. Rakich went into cardiac arrest at his residence and, because of the quick response from our police and fire departments, he was able to not only walk out of the hospital on his own but be present next to our men,” firefighters said in a Facebook post. “This isn’t something we get to brag about every day. The chances of surviving what Mr. Rakich went though are very slim, and every second that goes by the likelihood of survival gets smaller.”
