The quick thinking of a pair of Forest Hills EMTs saved a man from an opioid overdose in Ridgewood.
At approximately 9 p.m. on April 2, Anthony Bu and Roy Renna, volunteer members of the Forest Hills Volunteer Ambulance Corps (FHVAC), were among the crew that responded to a call in the Ridgewood area. When they arrived at the scene, they found a man who was not breathing well and had pinpoint pupils.
The crew determined that the man was suffering from an opioid overdose and assisted the man’s breathing with a bag valve mask. Bu and Renna then administered the life-saving medication Naloxone (Narcan) and the man began to breathe on his own within a couple of minutes.
An FDNY ambulance responded to the scene and transported the man to a local hospital. He is expected to survive thanks to the quick actions of the volunteer EMTs.
“It feels great to save a life this evening,” said EMT Anthony Bu, who has been a volunteer EMT for FHVAC for four years. This was the first time he had used Narcan.
“It feels good to save a person’s life and to give them another chance,” added Renna, who in addition to being a longtime volunteer at FHVAC also works full-time as a first responder. He has administered Narcan on multiple occasions.
