Scott went into epileptic seizure. I walked into the room and found several other co-workers huddled over him and one person on the phone with 911. He was unable to speak and was not sure who he was.
Scary. One minute working, next minute no clue who you are.
Everyone stood around watching. Looking at each other wondering what we should do.
Someone did know enough to get 911 on the phone. The paramedics responded and shuttled him off to the hospital. Through a series of internet searches for his wife we were able to track down where she worked and got a hold of her via phone, but by the time we reached her, she had already been notified. Her husband had texted her which meant he was coherent and functioning again.
It turns he had a history of seizures in his past. None of us knew his medical history. None of us knew how to get a hold of his family members. None of us know how to handle a seizure.
The first responders were amazing, just talking to him and staying with him until the paramedics arrived. I felt helpless. Unprepared to deal with an emergency. I learned a few things from this event:
- Get to know your co-workers. Not just what sports team they like, but who their family is, what their background is, etc. It’s not just great for developing the relationship, but you never know when it might come in handy.
- Have emergency contact information somewhere on you at all times. The phone seems great, but with Scott, he didn’t know his code to unlock his phone.
- Take a first responder course to learn how to properly handle emergencies when you encounter them.