On March 24, 2005 while relaxing at his West Seneca home 56-year-old Charles Lickfeld developed what he thought was a bad case of heartburn. He soon realized that there was much more than just discomfort involved, so a call to 911 activated the volunteers from the Winchester Volunteer Fire Department. Arriving in just within minutes they found Mr. Lickfeld unconscious, not breathing and without a pulse. Third Assistant Fire Chief William Szewc and Firefighter Stacey Sowinsky who are both Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s) initiated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and applied an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to Mr. Lickfeld. The AED activated and shocked his heart in an effort to jump-start it.

Fire Chief/EMT James Bauld, Firefighter/EMT Thomas Giammichele, Firefighter/EMT Scott Yager and Firefighter Adam Grabowski all assisted in the attempt to revive Mr. Lickfeld. Moments later a crew from Rural/Metro Medical Services arrived and Paramedic Stephan Pepper and EMT Norine Pietrzyk joined the resuscitation efforts. An intravenous (IV) line was established and the patient was given lifesaving medications. While preparing to move the patient onto the stretcher Mr. Lickfeld’s heart began to beat again and he started to breath on his own. Winchester and Rural/Metro worked feverishly to maintain this improvement and stabilize him for the transport to South Buffalo Mercy hospital.

Just before the commencement of the Winchester Volunteer Fire Company’s monthly meeting on Monday May 9, 2005 at 8:00 p.m. Mr. Charles Lickfeld has asked to be reunited with the men and women who saved his life. He wants to be there to publicly extend his appreciation.

For more information, please call Steve Beauchamp, Public Affairs and Marketing Manager at (716) 882-8400 Ext 323, or (716) 866-6161 (Cell).

Rural/Metro, headquartered in Buffalo, New York, has satellite offices and ambulance bases in Amherst, Cheektowaga, Hamburg, and Niagara Falls as well as several others locations throughout Erie, Niagara and Orleans Counties. Their 550+ Paramedics, Emergency Medical Technicians and support personnel are responsible for servicing 22 hospitals and over 100 nursing homes and health care facilities as well as the one million residents that reside in Western New York.