Community

Being Neighborly | Right people, right place, right time

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If there was ever a situation where two people were in the right place at the right time, it was when Travis and Emma Broussard were traveling down Highway 302 early this month. They saved a life.

While sitting in traffic near the Wauna Burger restaurant, the couple saw a man attempting to perform CPR on a woman in the parking lot.

Emma and Travis both are CPR/BLS (cardiopulmonary resuscitation/basic life support) trained. Travis was a volunteer firefighter in Texas before the family moved to Gig Harbor, while Emma is a nurse practitioner who has worked in acute care and has performed CPR countless times.

When the Broussards realized what was happening, they parked and ran to the scene.

Emma and Travis Broussard.

“It could’ve gone badly,” Emma said. “Her husband said they were eating on the tailgate of their truck, and she fell forward and struck her face on the ground. When we arrived, the poor husband was trying his best, but it appeared ineffective.”

Travis and Emma began performing the Heimlich maneuver immediately. They worked together to clear the food from her mouth and get her breathing again.

Emma said the woman was bloody from her fall and wasn’t breathing. She was gray and unresponsive. Having worked in health care for many years, Emma said she doesn’t often see a positive outcome in such situations.

Emma said her and Travis’s training took over. Their quick response brought the woman around — she was regaining consciousness as Key Peninsula Fire arrived.

Several people were standing back, watching and concerned, but unsure what to do. Of course the first thing to do is call 911. Then, if someone has the training, they should jump in and continue administering aid until first responders can take over.

“Something is better than nothing when someone is unresponsive and pulseless,” Emma said.

The couple both encourage everyone who can to get trained in CPR/BLS.  One never knows when it will mean the difference between life and death.

For anyone interested in helping neighbors in need of CPR, a phone app called PulsePoint can provide alerts. The app lists basic information on emergency calls that local fire districts receive, but it also allows users who are certified in CPR/BLS to receive alerts for emergencies close to their location.

Travis now works as a bus mechanic for the Peninsula School District and is retired from the Army. He did three tours in Afghanistan. Emma is a certified Adult Gerontology Nurse Practitioner at Olympic Occupational Medicine.

Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One offers training in CPR, AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and First Aid Training. Click here to register.