Commendations for saving captain’s life

Firefighters who saved their captain’s life after he went into cardiac arrest at a recent fire have been recognised by CFA’s Chief Officer with a special commendation. Spring Hill Fire Brigade Captain Scott Selle was attending a caravan fire in Glenlyon in February 2021 when he collapsed. His fellow firefighters immediately took action to save his life by using the defibrillator which was on their fire truck. The firefighters, including his partner Kath who was also at the incident, did an incredible job to not only fight the fire but also save Scott who was unconscious. Scott said he probably would have died if it wasn’t for his fellow firefighters and the defibrillators on scene. “I’m a farmer so I’m mostly working on my own. If this had happened while I was working on the farm, I wouldn’t be here today,” Scott said. “We actually had a number of defibrillators on scene that day which was great. Defibrillators save lives, it’s that simple. The defibrillator brought me back to life within two minutes and I’m so grateful they were available to us. “I honestly can’t thank my teammates and paramedics enough for everything they did that day to save my life.” CFA’s defibrillators play an important role in the safety and protection of firefighters and community members at incidents. As a result of the firefighters’ and paramedics’ remarkable efforts, CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan awarded them a CFA Commendation. “Those firefighters were put under extreme pressure that day and I am so proud of what they achieved,” Jason said. “A lifethreatening event at any incident is tough, but it’s even tougher when it’s someone in your team. “The firefighters acted quickly and used their first-aid skills to save Scott’s life. The paramedics who then took over kept Scott conscious and safe on the way to hospital. It was a huge team effort from firefighters and paramedics that day and it’s my great honour to present them with commendations.” Thanks to donations from the public following the 2019-20 fire season, CFA allocated $1.04 million to buy 426 additional defibrillators in June 2021, bringing the total number across the state to more than 1,700. This ensures that every group vehicle has a defibrillator and every brigade has at least one vehicle with a defibrillator. Ambulance Victoria MICA Paramedic Simon James who attended the incident said Scott was one of the lucky ones, with only one in ten people surviving a cardiac arrest. “Scott’s case shows just how important those first few minutes are. We know that if you receive CPR and a defibrillator is used, the patient’s chance of surviving increases by almost 70 per cent,” Simon said. “We encourage everyone to become familiar with CPR and to find out where their closest automated external defibrillator (AED) is located.” There are more than 6,500 AEDs registered across Victoria. To find your closest AED or register a device, visit registermyaed.ambulance.vic.gov.au.