911 Dispatcher Recognized For Life-saving Effort

A 911 dispatcher in Helena received a Distinguished Service Award from interim Helena Police Chief Steve Hagen Thursday, Dec. 4, for his role in helping to save the life of a Lincoln Man in October.

Zack Slattery, a lead dispatcher for Helena 911, answered an Oct. 13 call from a woman in Lincoln who thought her 73-year old husband was having a seizure. When the man stopped breathing, Slattery talked the woman – who had completed CPR training several years prior - through the CPR process.

“It was one of those things where we would rather do it than not,” Slattery told the Helena Independent Record.

During a discussion of Slattery’s award at the Dec. 6 Lincoln Government Day meeting and Zach Muse, Lincoln’s Fire Chief and an Emergency Medical Responder with the Lincoln Ambulance, praised his efforts.

“He calmly talked her through it and got something going to keep the blood flowing until we got there,” Muse said. He said Slattery played an important role after Lincoln Emergency Medical Services arrived because he was able to “read between the lines and make things happen” as they coordinated the air ambulance response to fly the patient to St. Patrick’s Hospital in Missoula.

“It’s a huge, huge benefit to everybody,” Muse said. “It’s good to have those dispatchers there who know what they’re doing. The award was well deserved.”

According to the Independent Record, the couple –who were unidentified due to health privacy concerns - attended Slattery’s award presentation. “This is the first time in 12 years that I’ve met a family,” Slattery said. “It adds a human element to it and heightens emotions. Especially because most of the time we don’t get to know the outcome of the calls we take.”

In addition to Slattery’s actions, Muse said the incident also highlighted the importance of the Fire Department’s Quick Response Unit, which arrived within minutes. At the Government Day meeting, Aaron Birkholz, the Lincoln Ambulance president and the LRFD’s emergency medical service director, confirmed that the incident was the eighth CPR save for Lincoln EMS in three years.

“Eight days later the guy comes into my office, shaking my hand because he’s alive,” Muse said. “That just doesn’t happen.”

Slattery was one of two dispatchers recognized at the ceremony last week. Chanel Waples also earned the award for an extraordinary effort in using an unfamiliar beta-test program to locate a young girl in Helena who had attempted suicide on Oct. 11.