Navy Recruiters Respond to Medical Emergency

GREENFIELD, WI, UNITED STATES

03.29.2018

Story by Joseph Wax 

Navy Talent Acquisition Group Great Lakes

GREENFIELD, Wisc. — Every Sailor that is selected for the
honor of recruiting the U.S. Navy’s next generation
receives training in Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
and emergency preparedness. It’s not because there are a
lot of emergencies in Navy recruiting. But like all
intense and chaotic situations, in order to respond
appropriately to an emergency, Sailors need to remain calm and allow their training to take over.
Three Sailors at Navy Recruiting District Chicago,
Aviation Structural Mechanic 1 st Class Ryan Dembowiak, from
Milwaukee, Wisc., Fire Controlman 2 nd Class Kaleb Fisher,
from Sikeston, Mo., and Machinist’s Mate 1 st Class Chelsea
Seegmiller, are being recognized for their ability to do
just that when they responded to an emergency medical
situation at Navy Recruiting Station (NRS) Greenfield,
Wisc., March 23.
Dembowiak and Fisher were cleaning up the back room of
NRS Greenfield when they heard Seegmiller arrive with her
two-year- old son Alecai. She was there to pick up her
computer so that she could work from home while Alecai was
sick with the flu.
“All of a sudden, MM1 (Seegmiller) screamed, ‘Oh my
god! He’s having a seizure,’” stated Fisher.
And that’s when the training kicked in. Seegmiller
called 911 while Dembowiak and Fisher rushed to help out.
“He looked like he had stopped breathing and was
turning blue,” said Dembowiak. “We put him in a good
position on his side. We got his mouth open and smacked
him on his back. He threw up and then took a really big
breath.”
“It was a fibral seizure, which are common in kids up
to age five,” said Seegmiller. “It involves a very rapid
increase in temperature, so we put cold towels on him.”
Within minutes, paramedics arrived to take Seegmiller
and her son to the hospital.
The intense and scary situation made the value of all
of the time Sailors spend training come clearly into focus.
“After everything calmed down, AM1 (Dembowiak) and I
were talking about how all of that medical training came in handy,” said Fisher. “We were calmly able to react and do
what was necessary because of the training we received.”
The Sailors’ ability to put their training to use in a
real-world emergency, impressed everyone up and down their
chain-of- command.
“I am extremely proud to serve with AM1 Dembowiak, FC2
Fisher and MM1 Seegmiller,” said NRD Chicago Commanding
Officer, Cmdr. Joseph D. Scott. “Their actions were heroic
and demonstrated extraordinary teamwork, initiative and
readiness. Their division officer, Lt. Cmdr. Chad Sobotka
said it best, ‘they are darn good Sailors!’"
Later, Dembowiak got to see the results of his quick
thinking firsthand.
“I picked MM1(Seegmiller) and her son up from the
hospital because I have kids too, so I have car seats,” he
said. “It was great. He was bouncing around like any
other two-year- old just six hours later.”
For more information contact Joseph Wax, NRD Chicago
Public Affairs Officer at [e-mail] or call
(847)-204- 1019.

• Date Taken: 03.29.2018
• Date Posted: 03.29.2018 15:28
• Story ID: 271144
• Location: GREENFIELD, WI, US