Statistically speaking, as per the American Heart Association, only 1 in 10 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients are successfully resuscitated.

John Hagans, of Yeagertown, was lucky enough to be that 1 in 10 earlier this year. During a Jan. 25 snowstorm, Hagans was successfully resuscitated by emergency personnel from Yeagertown Fire Co. and FAME EMS.

According to Yeagertown Fire Chief Chris Treaster, his department was dispatched as part of a Mifflin County Office of Public Safety protocol activated during snowstorms.

During extreme snowstorms, fire departments are immediately dispatched to assist EMS on all medical emergencies.

Sentinel photo by SAM BAUMGARDNER
FAME EMS Paramedic Harley Bilger receives a unit citation for FAME EMS from Seven Mountains EMS Council Director Harold Mast Monday afternoon at the Derry Township Municipal Building.

The Jan. 25 call, dispatched as trouble breathing, led to a cardiac arrest but ended in a second chance at life for Hagans.

Treaster credits the rapid response of the members of his department, including Hagans’ neighbor Yeagertown Fire Co. Captain Hunter Snook and firefighters Brandon Eby, Kaydn McClellan and Shannon Zaluski, who arrived on scene in a very short time as all were clearing snow around Snook’s residence. They arrived rapidly, and they found Hagans in cardiac arrest and initiated CPR.

Moments later, one of the firefighters from Yeagertown had gone back to Snook’s vehicle and grabbed a company-issued automated external defibrillator.

Snook and other responders from Yeagertown then applied the defibrillator to Hagans, which would eventually shock him a total of seven times before the return of spontaneous circulation.

According to the Cardiac Arrest Registry to Enhance Survival, which is a database used by EMS providers in 37 states including Pennsylvania, a 2024 study showed that only 10.5% of registered cardiac arrest survivors were discharged with a favorable neurological outcome.

Sentinel photo by SAM BAUMGARDNER
Pennsylvania Rep. David Rowe speaks to the audience.

This study and a study from the American Heart Association both show more favorable results with the initiation of bystander CPR and even better results when an automated external defibrillator was used.

According to Treaster, 11 firefighters from Yeagertown, two paramedics and one EMT from FAME EMS rotated between CPR and clearing snow for minutes straight.

According to FAME EMS Chief Mike Coldren, after the return circulation, a patient is considered to be in an extremely critical state and cannot be moved from the scene for 20 minutes to attempt to stabilize them prior to transport.

Hagans, who does not remember much of that day, said that he thanks God for putting those firemen in the right place at the right time. Coldren reiterated that he also feels that Hagans would not be with us today had it not been for the rapid response of the fire department and the readiness of a defibrillator closeby.

Coldren said on a normal day, the response time from his station to that area of Yeagertown is two to three minutes, but on Jan. 25, it was seven minutes due to the snow.

Treaster said he remembers looking down the street and seeing the ambulance pushing snow with the front bumper.

Tammy Hagans, John’s wife, credits FAME EMS Deputy Chief Patricia Peters with being her rock because, on several occasions during the incident, she was on the verge of losing her mind. Peters was able to bring her back down into a calm state.

Among those there to recognize the team involved were Harold Mast, director of Seven Mountains EMS Council, State Rep. David Rowe and the Derry Township Supervisors.

Also recognized were the Yeagertown Fire Co. Chief Chris Treaster, Assistant Chief Paul Liddick Jr., Capt. Hunter Snook, firefighters Gerson Arnold, Shannon Zaluski, Travis Panunzio, Reed Earnest, Kadyn McClellan, Paul Micheal Yocum, Brandon Eby and Missy Hampton; from FAME EMS Deputy Chief Patricia Peters, Paramedic Harley Bilger and EMT Amy Kintzel.