Boundary County Excellence: First responders receive award after saving 4-year-old

NAPLES — It was a call that no first responder wants to hear: “My child isn’t breathing.”

Officials said that on Sept. 16, a young boy was in a camper located on Morris Road when the heater malfunctioned and melted to the floor. The trailer was filled with toxic smoke, causing the boy to stop breathing.

While SBFPD and other first responders were en route, the child stopped breathing, and shortly afterward, suffered cardiac arrest.

South Boundary firefighter Dave Devereaux was first to arrive and immediately began administering CPR.

“He continued CPR by himself for an extended period of time prior to anyone else arriving on scene,” Boundary County Sheriff Office Sgt. Michael Valenzuela wrote in a report.

BCSO deputies Brandon Blackmore and Anthony Jeppesen also arrived on scene, taking over CPR efforts until medical personnel arrived.

First responders described the child as covered in soot all over his skin, mouth and nose.

“The efforts of Devereaux, Blackmore and Jeppesen led to reestablishing the airway for the child and began breathing on his own,” Valenzuela said.

The youth was transported to Boundary Community Hospital and later flown by medical helicopter to Seattle. He has since made a full recovery and returned home to his family 10 days after the incident. He did not suffer any neurological damage.

“The success rate of CPR outside a hospital setting are averaged between five and 10 percent. Without the quick response of these firefighters and deputies, the likelihood of the child surviving would be slim to none,” Valenzuela said.

“I would like to acknowledge the quick response of these men as well as their immediate action that gave this child a fighting chance. They answered the call to service that resulted in the saving of a young child,” Valenzuela said. “Their bravery and swift action are an example of what we all should strive to obtain. They kept a level head in the midst of a chaotic scene with the fire, child not breathing, and a family that was terrified wondering if their child would make it.”

Venezuela recommended that Devereaux, Blackmore and Jeppesen be awarded the Life Saving Award.

“This job is a thankless job and many times great actions go unnoticed,” he wrote.

Also recommending the first responders receive the Life Saving Award was Melissa Krejci, BCSO emergency communication specialist who handled the 911 call.

In her appeal to BCSO to recognize the deputies and firefighter for their life-saving efforts, Krejci added the remarkable response to all respective agencies, and noted the “reverence and urgency” with Deputy David Wion and BFPD Sgt. Willie Cowell answered the call as well.

“I observed Deputy Wion run out of the Communications Center as if it were his own loved one in distress; something I have seen him do before,” she wrote.

“It is my practice to stay on the line with a caller for as long as they will allow, especially for calls concerning catastrophic events,” she wrote.

She stayed on the line with the reporting party until South Boundary Fire personnel arrived on scene and began CPR.

BCSO officials asked a local emergency room ER Dr. the likelihood of resuscitation after a juvenile quits breathing.

“Restoring oxygen to a hypoxemic child is huge. There is a window of opportunity which is very small — minutes — in which the oxygen level determines life or death,” the doctor responded and was quoted in the report.

Devereaux, Blackmore and Jeppesen were the child’s window of opportunity, Krejci wrote.

“Their quick response, recognition of the severity of the medical emergency, immediate actions, effective and unremitting CPR resulted directly in saving the life of the 4-year-old boy from Morris Road. A failure to act or action after delay could have led to a tragic outcome,” she wrote.

On Sept. 25, Devereaux was presented his Life Saving Award by Boundary County Sheriff Dave Kramer and South Boundary Fire Chief Alan Merritt.

Devereaux said he had the confidence to go in and attempt to revive the boy, knowing that other first responders, such as the Boundary County Ambulance Service were right behind him.

Firefighter and deputies made the initial difference in the outcome of this boy’s life, Kramer said.

“Without your quick action, followed by that of the deputies, it would have been a different outcome for this 4-year-old,” Kramer said when giving the award.

Blackmore and Jeppesen were surprised with their Life Saving Awards on Sept. 29 at Musgy’s Bar and Grill amongst friends, family and other first responders. They were to receive their awards with Devereaux on Monday, Sept. 25 at South Boundary Fire Station One, but were out on a call.

“Overall team effort contributed to the outcome,” Kramer said, recognizing South Boundary Chief Allen Merritt and Boundary Ambulance Service for their involvement and others.

The youth’s grandparents, Teresa and Clinton Hubbard, were present at the ceremony and thanked those who responded to the call and all first responders present.

“On behalf of the Hubbard family, we want to thank every one of you,” Teresa Hubbard said.

“You are so vital to our community.”

“We are so thankful for your talent and what you do to save people’s lives and our grandson’s life. You never know what’s going to happen. You never know that at any moment something could go wrong,” she said.

When at the hospital, the doctors and nurses told the family there was no way the young boy should have survived.

“When children come in with level 3 critical burns, they don’t survive. He was a fighter, he was strong and healthy. We had these gentlemen and their quick response saved his life. We appreciate you so much,” she said.

Kramer said Boundary County and Bonners Ferry have a great group of first responders, dispatchers and volunteers.

Dispatcher Melissa Krejci was also given a commendation letter for her role in this incident.

The Life Saving Award is awarded to any employee who saves the life of another person, whether on-duty or off-duty, Idaho State Police officials wrote.

This year Boundary County and Bonners Ferry first responders have received seven Life Saving Awards stemming from four different incidents over the past two years.