Woman Thanks Everett Firefighters, Paramedics and 1st Responders Who Saved Her 4 Years Ago

July 17, 2013

Everett, Everett Fire

Savinski

Gloria Savinski with some of the Everett Fire crews who helped save her.

Gloria Savinski and Jackie Davis, the 911 dispatcher who started the CPR effort

Gloria Savinski and Jackie Davis, the 911 dispatcher who started the CPR effort

Everett Medic Travis Gamm talks with Gloria Savinski

Everett Medic Travis Gamm talks with Gloria Savinski

Back on July 26th, 2009 Gloria Savinski was giving a speech of gratitude at her church when she suddenly collapsed. She’d had a heart attack that ended up putting her in the hospital and getting her a triple bypass. She had no memory from the moment she collapsed over the next three days. Today, four years later, she got to fill in some of those memory gaps by meeting the people who helped save her life. First was fellow church member Jackie Davis who happens to work as a dispatcher for Sno-Pac in Everett. She recognized that Savinski was in trouble and immediately directed CPR efforts. Davis counted out chest compressions and did rescue breathing. “It was the most exhilarating and disturbing thing I’ve ever done,” Davis said. She’d given CPR instructions over the phone in her job as a dispatcher but this was the first time she’d performed live CPR herself. Davis and another church member worked on Savinski until Everett Firefighters and Paramedics arrived on scene and took over.

“It’s kinda rare that folks seek us out and tell their story,” said Travis Gamm, one of the medics who worked on Savinski and immediately recognized her when they met face to face today at Fire Station 1. Assistant Everett Fire Marshal Eric Hicks said the Everett Fire Department responded to approximately 18,500 calls in 2012 and called it gratifying to meet someone they had a chance to save.

“It’s been a journey but I wouldn’t be here to enjoy my husband, my kids and grandchildren if not for you,” said Savinski. Since the time of her collapse she had a defibrillator put in, removed, been successfully treated for stage 1 breast cancer and never lost the thought of thanking those who saved her personally.

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