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Spc. Patrick Sheil and Spc. Paul Hofe are members of the MDARNG’s 1st Battalion, 175th Infantry Regiment.
After Governor Larry Hogan activated up to 1,000 MDNG members in January to help hospitals battle the latest surge of COVID-19 patients, both soldiers were called to help in the ER at the Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center. It was not long before their first-responder training came into play.
At around 12:40 p.m. on Friday, February 18, Sheil said someone was taken into the ER in “respiratory distress.” Not long after, the patient became unresponsive and lost their pulse.
“The doctor immediately declared a cardiac arrest and requested as much manpower support as available.”
Sheil, who was already in the room with a nurse, immediately texted Hofe, who was moving another patient at the time, to come and help. Hofe shortly arrived and the two worked to give compressions to the patient.
“We did achieve a return of spontaneous circulation,” Sheil said. “So the patient’s heart began to beat on its own after several rounds of epinephrine injections, [sodium] bicarbonate injections, and other life-saving interventions that were applied.”
After about 40 minutes, a doctor determined the patient regained their pulse. Both soldiers credited this life-saving endeavor to their training, which comes from taking courses like the Combat Lifesaver Course and Tactical Combat Casualty Care course. In addition, Hofe found himself in a similar situation just a day later where he applied this essential training once again.
“On I-95, on the other side of the highway, there was a vehicle flipped over and the vehicle who had hit that vehicle,” Hofe said. “By the time I got there the cops were there. I assisted in pulling the gentleman out of the vehicle, got him stabilized and put into the ambulance.”
MDNG members are equipped with military and civilian training. Hofe said both these incidents were examples of soldiers putting those trainings to good use.
“You never know when the training that you’re taught is going to be needed,” Hofe said. “But when you’re in a position to be in charge, or to do something, then you need to fill that role and you need to step up and do that.”
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