On April 3, 2003, the Double Diamond Athletic Club Owner, Mike Shirley, was presented with REMSA’s Life Saver Award for the valiant life-saving actions he performed with an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) to 62 year-old club member, Ron Gould.

Mr. Gould was playing racquetball on Wednesday, January 8, when he dropped to the ground and went into full cardiac arrest. Mr. Shirley immediately advised his staff to call 9-1-1 and applied the AED to the patient. With one electronic fire from the AED, Shirley jump-started the patient’s heart. When REMSA critical care nurses Alan Dobrowolski and Alison Hudson arrived on the scene, they performed a full patient assessment, monitored the patient, and transported Mr. Gould to Washoe Medical Center. Today, Mr. Gould is alive and well thanks to the quick actions of Mr. Shirley.

REMSA established the Life Saver Award in 2002 to honor individuals in our community who performed life-saving actions in the middle of a life-threatening incident and either saved the life or lives of other community members. REMSA holds a special recognition ceremony for the individual, provides an overview of the life-saving action they performed and presents a plaque to them.

Since 1998, REMSA has proactively provided education and training for AEDs throughout northern Nevada and approximately 58 devices have been placed throughout Washoe County. REMSA has placed or contributed to approximately 21 of the AEDs in businesses, schools and public access areas.

REMSA is currently working with the City of Reno to gather more support for the recently launched “Queen of Hearts Campaign” promoting placement of AEDs in public access areas. REMSA and the City of Reno are encouraging local businesses to purchase AEDs for public access areas and once an AED is purchased, REMSA is available to provide all the AED training to employees of the public access area.

Life Saver Award Recipients