Gaylord Employees and PGFD Personnel Awarded and Meet Victim They Saved

MEDIA CONTACT

Rachel Dinbokowitz - Gaylord National Resort

rdinbokowitz@gaylordhotels.com

301-965-2111

Mark E. Brady - Fire/EMS Department

mebrady@co.pg.md.us

240-508-7930

(National Harbor, Md.) - J.W. Marriott, Jr., the Executive Chairman of the Board of Marriott International, honored two safety service personnel at Gaylord National Resort and Prince George’s County Fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department for their quick actions and service in saving a guest’s life. An award ceremony took place at the hotel on Thursday, October 31 for resort employees and Prince George’s County Firefighter/Medics. “I am very proud to be here to personally recognize such courageous and selfless members of our community and hotel family,” said Mr. Marriott.   The personnel had a rare opportunity to meet and talk with a heart attack victim that they had a role in saving his life.

On the morning of Wednesday, August 28, 2013, Gaylord National Resort safety personnel and members of the Fire/EMS Department contributed to a chain of events that saved a mans life at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center.   A patron at the resort, Derrick Howard, suffered a massive heart attack.  Gaylord safety crews arrived on the scene to find an unconscious male who was not breathing and had no pulse.   Ghennet Miltenberger-Walker and Officer Jeremy Jones immediately started CPR.  At the arrival of paramedics the victim was placed in their care.  After a rapid assessment using an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) which revealed a serious cardiac rhythm disturbance. The AED was used to deliver a shock that caused the victims heart to resume beating.  With his condition now stabilized, the patient was transported to a local hospital.  The attending physician remarked that the “swift action” is what saved his life.  Other medical personnel indicated that had it not been for the CPR administered by Ghennet Miltenberger-Walker and Officer Jones, this incident would have ended tragically.   

With the patients condition now stabilized, Derrick Howard was transported to a nearby hospital.  He was subsequently transferred to a hospital for increased cardiac care and placed in a medically induced coma.  He has since been discharged and returned home to New York.  Thankfully, the swift administration of CPR and the timely response of the Prince George’s County Fire/Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department created conditions conducive to saving this patient’s life. 

Fire Chief Bashoor presented Emergency Services Awards to the Firefighter/Medics and Fire Chiefs Awards to Gaylord National Resort Safety personnel. 

The following Fire/EMS Department personnel responded on the call and received an Emergency Services Award.

Michael J. Perritt, Fire Fighter/Medic Lieutenant

Edward J. Haaxma, Fire Fighter/Medic Technician        

Thomas R. Joachim, Fire Fighter/Medic        

Christopher D. Klinepeter, Fire Fighter        

Daniel J. Lundholm, Fire Fighter        

Justin K. Maynard, Fire Fighter        

Yassine M. Soumah, Fire Fighter

These images provided courtesy of the Gaylord National Resort

    

J.W. Marriott, Jr.,Ghennet Miltenberger-Walker and Fire Chief Marc Bashoor

J.W. Marriott, Jr., Jeremy Jones and Fire Chief Marc Bashoor

J.W. Marriott, Jr. with Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Personnel

The following images by Teresa Crisman, PGFD 

Fire/EMS personnel line up with Gaylord employees at Awards Ceremony in the atrium of the resort 

Fire Chief Bashoor also presented awards to Gaylord Safety Service personnel that initiated CPR

J.W. Marriott, Jr. with Prince George’s County Fire Chief Bashoor and Fire/EMS Personnel

Gaylord National Resort Safety Officers  Miltenberger-Walker (red shirt with plaque) and Jeremy Jones (blue coat with plaque),  stand with Fire Chief Bashoor (1st on left in PGFD uniform) and Fire/EMS Department personnell that worked as a team to save the life of Derrick Howard of New York (grey coat-hands folded in front).