Hoosick Falls

It Takes A Village…

by Bea Peterson

November 23 was an ordinary Monday Pickleball evening at the Armory in Hoosick Falls. As usual, a variety of  players were having a great time, enjoying the challenges of a good game… and suddenly it wasn’t ordinary any more. “Art (Hyde) had just beat me in a game of pickleball,” said Dawn Petit of Jackson. “We were talking on the sidelines (masked and in chairs six feet apart). I looked away briefly and when I turned to finish our conversation Art was falling from his chair to the floor. Dawn rushed to him and yelled “someone call 911!” Fellow player Amy St. Onge responded immediately and started chest compressions, followed quickly by Pam Hubbs (Brownell) with the Armory’s Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Dawn monitored Art’s pulse and gave a couple of rescue breaths, Amy continued chest compressions. They connected the defibrillator to Art and fired off a shock. Amy did another round of compressions, Dawn found a pulse and Art began to come around. 

The on-duty Town of Hoosick Rescue Squad was already out on a call and a second squad, consisting of Bill Gaillard, Shaun Blair and Haley Armstrong, was dispatched as quickly as possible. On duty Paramedic Adrienne Hamilton, from the Cambridge Valley Rescue Squad, was called and arrived within minutes of the Hoosick Squad. Art was taken to Albany Medical Center. “I don’t remember anything until I was on the gurney,” recalls Art. Son, Art, Jr., who was also playing said, “the whole situation was very scary.” Pam noted later “we were operating on automatic, doing what we had been trained to do. It was a beautiful team effort.” For Amy, this was her second successful resuscitation in the community. 

Miracles happen when all the stars are aligned. It was fortunate that a few years ago the Town of Hoosick Rescue Squad had donated an AED to the Armory and that the Armory Board saw that the AED was maintained and readily available. It was fortunate for Art that skilled medical help was on hand when he collapsed. It was fortunate that rescue squad personnel arrived as quickly as they did.

On Saturday, December 12, a number of folks gathered briefly outside the Armory for a photo, to celebrate Art’s survival, to recognize the groups that made the AED available, recognize the three women responsible for saving Art’s life and stress the importance of CPR training. Bill explained that if CPR is started in less than 4 minutes and a defibrillator arrives in less than 8 minutes, the patient has a 49 to 75% chance of survival. For every minute beyond that, chances drop by 10 percent.

Amy, a resident of Grafton, has been a registered nurse for 26 years, Pam, a resident of White Creek, has been an RN for 20 years. Both are on the Hoosick Falls Pickleball Club Board and, from the start, were adamant the Armory have a good first aid kit and defibrillator available at all times. Pam was recently appointed Club Board chairman. Dawn has been a physical therapy assistant for 31 years. She was certified in CPR at 16 as a life guard. This is the first time she has ever had to use that training.

AEDs are expensive, therefore not every place has one. At the gathering on Saturday Bill Gaillard presented a second one to the Armory in memory of John Hyde who died in a car accident 40 years ago. John was the son/brother of the Art Hydes.

The batteries for defibrillators are expensive. Once used, parts of the AED have to be replaced. Tom Osborn, Saint Gobain Plant Manager and Leanne Paquette, Environment, Health and Safety Manager, were on hand because a portion of a generous donation to the Armory from Saint Gobain will see those parts and battery are replaced. Rick Tinkham was on hand because he and his wife Pam of Berkshire Hathaway Home Services will see that a box to house the unit will be strategically placed in the Armory. Dr. Andrew Cowder and his wife Tanya will see that the new unit is properly housed. Dr. Cowder commented on the warmth and friendliness of the Hoosick community and he expressed the importance of CPR training, something he will see happens at the Armory once COVID-19 is not an issue. Rick and Andrew, a member of the Pickleball Club, have served on the Armory Board.

Adrienne presented the three women with Heartsaver Hero Awards from the Cambridge Squad, Bill presented the three with appreciation certificates from the Hoosick Squad and Art had little appreciation gifts for his three “angels.” 

At age 83 Art now has an implanted defibrillator of his own and has resumed his three mile daily walks. All of it made possible by a Village of caring people who made sure the right equipment was in the right place at the right time and blessed that the right people were in the right place at the right time.

Note About Pickleball

With the outbreak of COVID-19 in March the Hoosick Falls Pickleball Club shut down. In October, with the consent of the Armory Board, and following NYS Guidelines, Pickleball began again. Sessions were reduced from 9 to 4. Number of players was limited to 16 people per session. Advanced sign-up is mandatory. No new members are being accepted at this time. Upon entering the Armory temperatures are taken and everyone signs in for tracing, if it should ever become necessary. All chairs are placed six feet apart. Masks are required when not playing. Hand sanitizer is readily available. There is a separate entrance and exit. Fans are used to keep the air moving. Equipment is sanitized at the end of each session. Every precaution has been taken to see to the safety of all involved. So far, so good…