On Tuesday, Bill Bowers and his family gathered at the City of Kissimmee’s Fire Station 12 to express their gratitude to the first responders who saved Bill’s life following a sudden cardiac arrest while he was working on his home. His wife, Martha, quickly called 911 and was guided through the initial steps by the dispatcher. Kissimmee’s Fire Rescue and EMS arrived promptly, providing critical treatment and transporting him to the hospital.
During the event, Kissimmee Fire Lieutenant Jeff Miller spoke about the significance of the day, “Today, we gather to celebrate an incredible journey of resilience and compassion. I have the privilege to introduce Bill Bowers, a remarkable individual whose life was touched by the swift and skilled actions of our EMS team. Mr. Bowers was faced with a sudden cardiac arrest, a moment that could have marked the end of his story. However, due to the dedication and experience of our EMS crew, his heart was restarted, and he was brought back from the brink of death, enabling him to celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary with his wife. This gathering highlights the teamwork and commitment of our emergency responders in protecting and saving lives in our community.”
The survival rate for cardiac arrest outside of a hospital is around 10%, but it can be as high as 90% if treatment begins within minutes. The rate drops by about 10% for each minute that treatment is delayed. CPR, or Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, can double or triple the chances of survival. Even if you can only perform hands-only CPR, it can keep blood and oxygen circulating until help arrives.
“We wanted to get together to express our gratitude as a family to the Kissimmee Fire Department. Everything that I’ve read, as far as statistics and so forth, people that go into cardiac arrest at home, they aren’t supposed to make it. But everything worked out. I’m here. We just want to thank you all. Thank you all for coming out. We didn’t realize we were going to cause this big of a stir. What we really wanted to do is just walk up to the door, knock on the door, and thank the medics and the fire department, everybody that showed up and everybody that responded.”
Dr. Ayanna Walker, the Medical Director of Osceola EMS, attended the presentation and expressed her admiration for the outstanding efforts of Kissimmee’s EMS team. She congratulated the team and the Bowers family on the remarkable outcome, highlighting the exemplary work of the Kissimmee First Responders in their life-saving actions.
Lieutenant Jeff Miller also presented Life-Saving Awards to the team members who responded to the call, honoring their quick and skilled actions that made a significant difference in Bill Bowers’ life, and allowed Bill, his wife, and their loving family to continue their lives, together.
