Helen's heart went into ventricular fibrillation. As she looks back on it, she had absolutely no warning signs. She felt fine that day, drove herself to the Doubletree Hotel to meet friends for an auction, walked into the lobby...and collapsed. Two bystanders immediately began cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), and 9-1-1 was quickly called.

Springfield Fire Department's Station 5 was brand new. In fact, it had only been open a few weeks. The local neighborhood needed closer fire protection, and now it was a reality. Captain/paramedic Doug Cox, a 12-year veteran of the Springfield Department, was on the call to the Doubletree that day. He and his team arrived at the hotel in less than three minutes; firemen from the next closest station would probably have taken eight or nine minutes. As Helen says, she is "...very, very grateful help was so near."

Captain Cox and his team found Helen with no pulse and not breathing on her own. "It really helps us when we come on the scene and find someone already performing CPR," said Captain Cox. "Keeping oxygen moving to the vital organs is critical for the survival of the patient. In this case, we were fortunate to have bystanders willing to jump in and help a stranger."

A single shock from the AED brought Helen's heart back to a more stable rhythm. She began breathing, and was quickly transported to the hospital for treatment, which included an implanted defibrillator to assist in case of future cardiac episodes.

Helen's son, George, a biochemist who lives across the country in Pennsylvania, received the call from his mother's doctor. "She had a history of a slow heartbeat and a potassium imbalance," her son said. "For some reason that day her heart went into ventricular fibrillation. I'm so thankful help was there, because my mother is truly an inspiration to me."

Thanks to the new fire station and to quick and proper implementation of the Chain of Survival, Helen continues to light up the lives of those around her.

Springfield, Oregon, a city of 52,000, is known for its top-notch emergency response system, with almost two-thirds of its firefighters trained as paramedics. Springfield's Fire Department has been well prepared since 1987, when it became one of the earliest departments in the nation to pioneer "Rapid Zap," as it was known by the International Association of Fire Chiefs. Rapid Zap was a resolution to train and equip fire department "first responders" with automated external defibrillators to save lives. Ideally, ambulances and trained paramedics would be first on the scene, but in many cases the fire or police department can arrive more quickly.