CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. – Delray Beach Fire Chief Keith Tomey said he was grateful for the team of heroes who recently rescued him when was suffering from chest pain at his home in Coral Springs.
Tomey was having a heart attack, he said. He said he was very pale, sweaty, and had shortness of breath. He decided to get inside the house and his wife called 911.
“I owe my life to these guys, Tomey said while meeting them again on Thursday for a gratitude dinner.
Shaunte Reid, a 911 dispatcher, answered the call and sent Coral Springs Fire Department personnel from Station 71 to Tomey’s home. They took him to the Northwest Medical Center in Margate.
A medical team at the emergency care hospital performed surgery to treat the heart attack in progress. They inserted a stent, a tiny wire mesh tube, to expand a clogged artery that feeds the heart muscle.
Dave Schneider, a fire captain for the Coral Springs Fire Department, said he was grateful that Tomey survived and was healthy enough to meet with them.
“It was good to help out somebody brand new in the city,” Schneider said. “He is one of our brothers so that puts a cherry on the top.”
Tomey had a message to the public: “If you are unsure, don’t put it off and dismiss it. Call your doctor or go to the hospital immediately.”