When a 10-year-old child asked to meet the firefighters who saved his life, he wasn’t expecting two of them to be incarcerated.
The story began with a 911 call on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 1:30 p.m. Supplying mutual aid to surrounding areas, the Chuckawalla Valley State Prison/Ironwood State Prison Fire Station received the call. Someone along Interstate 10 was experiencing cardiac arrest, so prison Fire Engine 7618 responded.
On board were Fire Chief Richard Selph and incarcerated firefighters Antonio Alonso and Leopoldo Leon. They soon learned the cardiac arrest patient was 10-year-old Logan Sauceda.
Traveling with his father, Logan went into cardiac arrest for no apparent reason. The father pulled off the freeway and immediately dialed 911.
CalFIRE dispatch guided the father on how to do cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). When prison and CalFIRE firefighters arrived, Logan’s father was performing CPR.
Firefighter staff continued with life saving measures until Logan regained a pulse, however, he was still in respiratory arrest.
Prison fire station staff secured a landing zone for an air ambulance. Once the helicopter arrived, Mercy Air transported Logan to Desert Regional Medical Center (DRMC) in Palm Desert for further medical care.
Logan made a full recovery and requested to meet all the people who came together and provide medical care.
On Saturday, March 30, his request became a reality. Logan, his father, and all the firefighters who responded and assisted in his medical care met at the CalFIRE station in Desert Center.
Logan met and thanked everyone personally.
Firefighter Alonso has been assigned to the prison Fire Station since September 2023 while firefighter Leon has been assigned since June 2022.
Submitted by Lt. JJ Hernandez
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