CASSELBERRY, Fla. – A Seminole County man who spent years teaching CPR recently found himself using those same skills to save his own father.
On Wednesday, Seminole County Fire Department honored John Jared Hill with a Citizen Lifesaver Award and recognized the Station 21 crew that responded to the March cardiac arrest.
Hill, director of access capacity management for AdventHealth, said his father, John W. Hill, was visiting from Ohio when he suddenly became unresponsive while helping with a remodeling project.
“The next thing you know, he was not responsive,” Hill said. “I had my nephew and my friend pull him out from under the sink and figured I needed CPR, so I immediately began CPR.”
Hill said years of training kicked in.
“You don’t think about it being bad,” he said. “Someone is not responsive, and the training kicks in.”
Seminole County firefighters arrived and took over care, eventually helping save his father’s life.
“This Father’s Day, my dad is still around,” Hill said.
Fire Chief Matt Kinley said the outcome was made possible because the chain of survival began before crews even arrived.
“John’s decisive, calm actions provided an important step that carried his father through until emergency crews could arrive and begin our advanced treatments,” Kinley said during Wednesday’s ceremony.
Paramedic Jeff Garrett said early CPR is critical.
“It really does start with you guys,” Garrett said. “It’s because of you that we were able to do this.”
John W. Hill joined the ceremony by FaceTime from Ohio and thanked everyone involved in saving his life.
“If he’d have waited, we would not be doing this at this moment,” he said. “I just thank each and everybody that was involved.”
With Father’s Day approaching, the family said they are especially grateful for the extra time they have together.
Seminole County Fire Department used the ceremony to encourage people to learn hands-only CPR. Fire officials said free training opportunities are available through the county’s Save a Life Seminole program.