They have him the gift of life.
An eternally grateful man who suffered serious cardiac arrest returned to a St. Augustine firehouse to thank the firefighters who saved his life, according to a touching Facebook post from the department.
Just two shifts earlier, crews from Station 12 had responded to his emergency call.
The unnamed man’s heart had stopped beating, and crews performed advanced cardiac arrest procedures to get it pumping again before transporting him to a local hospital.
Despite being inches from oblivion just a few days prior, he walked back into the station on his own two feet to say thank you.
“These are the moments that remind us why we do what we do,” the agency said. “To serve those in need.”
That visit came amid an exceptionally busy stretch for St. Johns County Fire Rescue.
Over several, the department responded to 405 calls ranging from raging fires to downed planes to lightning strikes to boat fires.
Overall, 911 call volume rose 16% compared to recent weekends, the department said.
But the biggest increase was in administrative calls—non-emergency calls such as animal control—which jumped 56%.
“Crews in the field met every challenge head-on, responding to complex, high-acuity incidents with professionalism, teamwork, and unwavering focus,” SJCFR said in a statement.
