Offutt captain saves Omaha man’s life Published Jan. 19, 2011 By Airman 1st Class Peter R.O. Danielson 55th Wing Public Affairs OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- When sitting through your next annually-required cardio-pulmonary resuscitation class, pay attention. The life of your friend, family member or Wingman could be at risk. You might not even know the person. On Nov. 29, 2010, Capt. Jonathan Fitzsimmons, assistant A Flight commander for the 45th Reconnaissance Squadron here, found out that the skills learned in the Boy Scouts and annual refreshers in self-aid buddy care were necessary to save a stranger's life. Captain Fitzsimmons was in Omaha at Markel BMW when Al Barton, a BMW employee, collapsed. "As soon as (Mr. Barton) rounded the corner with this dolly he was pushing, he fell backward and started convulsing," said Captain Fitzsimmons. "I knew with my SABC training that I was a pretty good candidate to respond." Rushing to his side, Captain Fitzsimmons and two other Markel employees began first aid techniques that medical staff later said saved the man's life. "I knew the first thing we needed was to monitor his ABCs," said the captain. "He was still breathing shallowly, so we made sure his airway was open." While the three first responders were monitoring Mr. Barton, a different employee ran to call emergency responders. After three minutes, Mr. Barton stopped breathing. His pulse faded. Captain Fitzsimmons and the two employees began CPR and rescue breathing. "All I was thinking about was hoping I was doing everything right," Captain Fitzsimmons said. Emergency medical technicians arrived on scene after 10 minutes. They took Mr. Barton to Nebraska Methodist Hospital in Omaha. There, medical staff used a new cooling procedure, called therapeutic hypothermia. The treatment has been available at Methodist for a year, but had not been performed before Mr. Barton. The treatment increases the survival by minimizing the swelling of organs of someone who suffers a heart attack. "If you don't do CPR on someone, they're not going to live anyway," said Captain Fitzsimmons. "We did the best we could, and the new technique made a difference." Captain Fitzsimmons will be receiving an Air Force Commendation Medal, but he is hesitant to accept full credit for the actions on Nov. 29. "I'm honored that the Wing has decided to notice it, but at the same time, I know there were three of us," he said. "I feel like anyone could have done the same in my place." He also received one more token of gratitude, a voicemail from one Kathy Barton. "Hello," the message said. "This is Al Barton's wife. You saved his life one week ago today. Thank you so much."