HOW TO SAVE A LIFE
Individuals, organizations honored for saving Prattsburgh man's life in coordinated effort
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

PHOTO BY ROB PRICE Geraldine Bulkley, mother of heart attack victim Rodney Bulkley, hugs Brian Weaver, a co-worker of her son at Air Flo manufacturing in Prattsburgh who performed CPR on the stricken man until emergency medical crews responded to the scene.

PRATTSBURGH — When Air Flo Manufacturing offered its employees an opportunity to learn cardio-pulmonary resuscitation several years ago, Brian Weaver, a production supervisor at the Prattsburgh plant, decided to take the course.

Late last month, he got the unwelcome chance to put his new skill to use.

Early in the morning of Sept. 27, co-worker Rodney Bulkley collapsed in cardiac arrest. Weaver called 911, then began CPR on the stricken man. He continued administering the treatment for at least five minutes, until a Steuben County Sheriff's deputy arrived at the scene with a portable defibrillator. A Prattsburgh ambulance crew was next on the scene, together with a paramedic from Rural Metro Medical Services. Their combined services saved Bulkley's life, and he was rushed to Corning Hospital.

"It was something I just did," Weaver said Thursday at the Steuben County Public Safety Building, where he and four other individuals and organizations were honored for their coordinated response to Bulkley's heart attack.

"It takes a coordinated team effort when sudden cardiac arrest strikes to give that person a second chance at life," said Arthur Jones, coordinator for Rural Health Community Systems.

Joining Weaver were members of the Prattsburgh Volunteer Ambulance Corps; 911 dispatcher Kendall Jordan, who took Weaver's call; Sheriff 's Deputy Erin Boyle, who used her portable defibrillator to shock Bulkley's heart, and Rural Metro paramedic Sam Stetter, who administered advanced early care to Bulkley.

"It was a well-oiled machine," said Ruth Robbins, captain of the Prattsburgh ambulance company.

The automatic external defibrillator program was initiated by Undersheriff Dave Cole, the Sheriff's Department said in a prepared release describing the incident. According to Jones, Cole helped develop the program for the New York state police, then brought the program to the Sheriff 's Department when he became undersheriff.

"A chain is only as strong as its weakest link," Jones said Thursday. "In Steuben County, we are fortunate to have some pretty strong links."

Bulkley remains in the hospital and is scheduled for heart bypass surgery next week.

"He was on his way out," said Weaver Thursday, adding his administration of CPR felt like "no big deal" at the time. On the other hand, he added, "I don't want to do it again either."