Detroit Fire medics honored after saving man during cardiac arrest
The Brief
Two members of Detroit Fire were honored with the Lifesaver of the Year Award Tuesday.
Chris Photiades and Samuel Lemire received the awards for saving a man in cardiac arrest.
Their patient, Micah Parker, was on hand to thank them after being considered clinically dead.
DETROIT (FOX 2) - A journeyman mason was on hand as the two Detroit Fire medics were honored for bringing him back from the brink on Tuesday.
The backstory
Every day is a second chance for Micah Parker. Today it was another chance for him to say thanks.
"I see this guy every day from the memories," he said.
Parker is talking about Detroit Firefighter Paramedic Chris Photiades.
"We're responding to a different call and we were rerouted from a different call to this one," he said.
The DFD Medic Crew was just in time to arrive at Mann Elementary School in Detroit.
"When we got there we saw the patient, his union brothers were doing CPR on him," said Photiades.
Parker, who was working as a journeyman mason, had suffered cardiac arrest and was clinically dead.
"It was very tense. We recognized immediately that we needed to fire all cylinders when working on this guy," said Samuel Lemire, DFD firefighter.
"We lowered him down on the ground, cut his shirt off, started CPR on him, threw the defibrillator pads on him," said Photiades.
And then finally - there was a sign of life.
"Between us and his union brothers, Engine Company 55, we all worked together to bring him back from the dead, literally," said Photiades.
FOX 2 first met Parker last November when he met with his union brothers, medics and DMC Sinai Grace Hospital staff to say thank you.
"I'm just happy that I am really able to talk about all this," he said, then.
Fast-forward to EMS Week 2025 and Parker showed his appreciation while the two medics received the Kim Lagerquist Lifesaver of the Year Award from the Detroit East Medical Control Authority.
Related: Union-required CPR training saves member's life on Detroit job site
"Every day members go above and beyond, but for some cases, they just really need that extra recognition," said Chuck Simms, DFD executive fire commissioner.
Everyone involved in this life-saving story say you, too, can be a hero, and it starts with learning hands-only CPR
"You not knowing CPR could be the difference between someone living or dying around you,"
"It's two to three hours out of your day for a lifetime of knowledge that could save your life, or someone you love," said Photiades.
The Source
Information for this story came from a previous report and Tuesday's award ceremony.
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