Sep 5, 2012
Steve Piffer (center), an aircraft engine mechanic, is recognized for his lifesaving efforts by coworkers in the TF34 Engine Shop as Capt. John Kemna ...
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) employee and his wife were enjoying a preseason game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Giants at EverBank Field when they were faced with a life or death situation Aug. 10.
FRCSE Engine Mechanic Steve Piffer and wife, a registered nurse came to the rescue by performing two-man cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for a man who went into cardiac arrest while at the concession stand.
“We were getting food to take back to our chairs,” said Piffer, “When we turned to walk away, the guy fell out right beside us. I checked for a pulse in his neck and [my wife] checked his wrist. He had no heartbeat; he wasn’t breathing. From the time we started CPR to the time we finished in a couple of minutes, we had him back.”
The emergency medical technicians (EMTs) arrived and transported the patient to a local hospital. During halftime, Piffer walked over to the EMT station to check on the man. The paramedics said their patient would likely recover and thanked Piffer for his lifesaving efforts.
It was a win-win on that fateful day not only for the man with the defective heart but also for the Jaguars who triumphed over the New York Giants 32 to 31.
A Jacksonville Jaguars representative contacted the season ticket holders soon after to extend the team’s thanks and to upgrade the Piffers’ seating to club seats for the home game against the Houston Texans Sept. 16.
This was not Piffer’s first occasion to provide CPR to a down and out victim. His first was in 1985 when he revived a 19-year-old Sailor while serving on active duty. The second was in 1989 when he happened upon a car wreck on Christmas day. In spite of performing one-man CPR, his efforts could not save an 86-year-old man who was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Piffer learned his lifesaving skills while working for the Jasonville Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue in Indiana. He maintained the skill set while serving for 20 years in the U.S. Navy before retiring in 2003.
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