CC MEETING: March 3, 2026
DATE: February 24, 2026
TO: Erin Rinehart, City Manager
FROM: Michael Thomson, Fire Chief
Robert Arredondo, Police Chief
Rex Redden, Executive Director of Public Safety
Title
Present Life Saving Award To Care Team Members, Firefighters, Police Officers, And Dispatchers For Their Work In Achieving First Avive 4MC Save.
Body
BACKGROUND:
A citizen of Carrollton suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in front of his wife just after midnight on Saturday, 9/27. The patient's wife called 9-1-1. Twelve Avive AEDs assigned to 4 Minute Community CARE Team members were alerted by NTECC. Five AEDs accepted the alert. Four of those five AEDs made it on scene in the hands of five CARE Team volunteers. The patient's wife performed chest compressions while under the instruction of the NTECC telecommunicator for approximately 3 minutes before Chris and Chandra Cralle, 4 Minute Community CARE Team volunteers, arrived. Chris, a Carrollton Fire Rescue FF/Paramedic as well as a CARE Team member, took over compressions while Chandra applied the AED. The AED initially did not advise a shock. Christine Callander, the third CARE Team member to arrive shortly after the Cralles, performed compressions after Chris. After her two minutes of compressions, the AED advised and delivered a shock. Carrollton Police Department Officer Steve Brooks, who also responded while on patrol, arrived on scene and was readying himself to take over compressions following the defibrillation when Chris noticed that the patient had begun spontaneously breathing on his own. Chris quickly checked for and noted strong pulses. CPR was discontinued. David Depew and Stephen Cutshaw, the next CARE Team members to arrive, helped to create a path for EMS prior to their arrival. E114 and M114 arrived on scene, stabilized the patient, and continued treatment while transporting the patient to Presbyterian Hospital of Plano. During the time CFR was stabilizing the patient, Mr. Depew, a chaplain in his everyday life, prayed with the patient's wife. Mr. Cutshaw walked the family dog so the patient's wife could make herself ready to go to the hospital. The receiving medical staff a Presbyterian Hospital of Plano provided exceptional definitive care that allowed the patient to return home with no neurological deficits within a week’s time. Together these individuals, representing each link in the chain of survival, played their part, quickly assuming vital roles, to save the life of a citizen of Carrollton and provide needed support to his wife.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION/ACTION DESIRED:
Fire Chief Michael Thomson to present recognition with CFR Certificate and Challenge Coins to all NTECC, CARE Team volunteers, CFR and CPD personnel, and Presbyterian Hospital of Plano staff involved in the care of the patient.