Dutchess County Public Safety Dispatcher Recognized for Efforts to Save Infant

Dutchess County Public Safety Dispatcher Recognized for
Efforts to Save Infant

Last Wednesday, family members, local fire and emergency services personnel, and officials met at Lewis Tompkins Hose, Station 2 in the City of Beacon, to acknowledge and thank the life-saving efforts of Dutchess County Public Safety Dispatcher Paul Reinheimer and several emergency services personnel involved with the revival of 11-month-old, Aubrey. On Saturday, August 6th, Dispatcher Reinheimer took an emergency call for an infant not breathing due to an obstructed airway. Using training in emergency medical dispatching, he instructed the infant's grandmother over the phone on how to clear the infant's airway, while at the same time keeping the grandmother calm during the high-stress event, until first responders could arrive. Upon the arrival of Mobile Life Support Services EMT Bruno Sambolin and Paramedic Valerie Pagliaro, Beacon Volunteer Ambulance Corps EMT Michael Zingone, and City of Beacon Fire Department Firefighter and EMT Ronnie Arrigo, Aubrey was evaluated and it was determined her breathing was returned to normal. The meeting was organized by past City of Beacon Fire Chief and Aubrey's grandfather, Tim Joseph.  

"I wanted to have the opportunity to thank Paul in person for what he did for my granddaughter and our family. Paul was able to talk to my wife, Tammy, to calm her down and instruct her on how to perform life-saving procedures to save my granddaughter's life. I'm grateful to Paul, Ronnie, and all the emergency personnel responsible for keeping Aubrey alive. The services our emergency services personnel provide to the community are critical and we should take the time to recognize them for their selfless acts of heroism," said Tim Joseph.

Dutchess County public safety dispatchers are responsible for receiving emergency and non-emergency telephone calls from the public and transmitting emergency information in the dispatching of firefighters, medical personnel, law enforcement officers and equipment in the shortest possible time, while maintaining a calm atmosphere in high-stress situations. Dispatchers maintain radio communications with public safety personnel responding to the emergency situation. Dispatchers are required to monitor numerous telephone and alarm systems and radio frequencies simultaneously and must exercise sound independent judgment in prioritizing calls and dispatching appropriate emergency services as quickly as possible. The Dutchess County E-911 Communications Center received a total of 261,159 calls in 2015. 

To learn more about the services provided by the Dutchess County Department of Emergency Response, go to:
http://www.dutchessny.gov/