North Fayette Township firefighters help save another choking child
For the second time in just over a year, North Fayette Township firefighters helped save a child who was choking.
The North Fayette Township Volunteer Fire Department said that just before 6 p.m. on Monday, a firefighter noticed a man walking inside the station along Steubenville Pike.
"The parents, originally headed to Children's [Hospital] by private means, made a decision to stop at the station for assistance," the department said. "We are grateful that our fire department is staffed, not only by paid township fire inspectors during daylight hours, but live-ins and volunteer staffers as well."
The fire department said that Deputy Chief Alex Toth went to greet the man and was handed an infant.
Toth immediately recognized that the child was choking and helped clear the obstruction with help from Lieutenant Paramedic Tyler Pilewski, the fire department said.
"The baby was very blue, very cyanotic, wasn't really moving much, wasn't really having any kind of cries, no noises," Deputy Chief Toth recalled.
After several back blows, the baby's color came back, and his breathing returned to normal.
"We already knew what to do; we had the training on it. We assist EMS with a lot of their calls up here, and a lot of us work on the ambulance that also works up here as well," Toth said.
Lieutenant Chuck Spencer called 911 for an ambulance while the child was being tended to, and the fire department said the baby is expected to be okay.
The department gave recognition to Deputy Chief Toth, Lieutenant Pilewski, Lieutenant Spencer, Firefighter Cory Russi, Firefighter Micah Fitzwilliams, and Firefighter John Leitschaft Jr.
Just over one year ago, a similar situation happened at the same fire station when a mother got out of the vehicle in a panic along with an infant child who was choking for an unknown reason.
Firefighters and EMTs were able to help stop that child from choking and allowed them to start breathing normally.
The fire department stresses that in an emergency, calling 911 is the best option, and they also recommend learning CPR.
