During an EMT-Paramedic training class at Fox Valley Technical College, a simulated heart attack exercise suddenly became real.
In late March, longtime instructor Karl Arps, who was lying in the back of an ambulance used as part of the EMS classroom environment, went into cardiac arrest while “playing the patient.” Within seconds, EMT students realized they were not responding to a simulation. Their instructor was experiencing a real medical emergency.
Students immediately took command and initiated the chain of survival. They began CPR, applied an automated external defibrillator (AED), and delivered two lifesaving shocks. By the time first responders arrived, the instructor had a pulse and was alert.
Arps was transported to the hospital, underwent successful open-heart surgery and is now recovering at home.
Given that the overall survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is approximately 10 percent nationwide (American Red Cross), this incident highlights the life-saving impact of bystander CPR, AED access and hands-on emergency medical training. Six FVTC students rose to a moment they never expected and saved the life of the man who taught them how to save others.
This incident reflects exactly what Fox Valley Technical College is built on – hands-on training that prepares students to act confidently and correctly when it matters most. Because these students train in real-world environments and scenarios, their response was immediate, coordinated and lifesaving.
Arps returned to the EMT classroom this week, where he and his family thanked the students and faculty. The students were each presented with CPR Save Heart pins in recognition of their actions.
