Leann Wiggington

In September 2013 in Florence, Alabama, a son called 911 because his elderly father was nonresponsive. Shoals Ambulance Paramedic Leann Wiggington was first on the scene and through her quick assessment and immediate action, as well as the teamwork of Florence-Lauderdale E-911 Center, Florence Fire Department and the doctors at Eliza Coffee Memorial Hospital emergency department, a man’s life was saved. The son and his father were driving to the hospital when the father lost consciousness. The son immediately called 911. When Wiggington and her partner, Jennifer Hale, heard the call through dispatch, the son directed them to a car dealership parking lot. When they arrived, the father and son were not there, but, using quick thinking, they continued in the direction of the hospital. In his panic, the son had traveled a few miles to a different parking lot. The ambulance team was able to correctly determine the location of the emergency and minimize further delay of lifesaving care. Wiggington assisted in getting the father out of the truck onto a flat surface and immediately started CPR. Wiggington attached a LIFEPAK 12-Lead cardiac monitoring device to the patient, which determined he had entered ventricular fibrillation. To restart the heart, she issued a shock from the LIFEPAK device, but there was no change. Wiggington continued CPR, and the Florence Fire Department helped place the patient in the ambulance. She reassessed and after the second electrical therapy, Wiggington registered a pulse. Within 10 minutes from arriving at the scene, the patient was in the emergency department, where Wiggington presented a code summary showing a report of the cardiac trauma and that the patient was now experiencing regular sinus rhythm and lowered blood pressure. Thanks to excellent teamwork, the patient fully recovered and was able to return home.”