Politics & Government

Baltimore County Recognizes Heart Attack Survivors

In a ceremony held at a Parkville fire station, Baltimore County officials recognized heart attack survivors and stressed the importance of early-response CPR.

As a nod to June being national CPR month, the Baltimore County Fire Department held a ceremony on behalf of four heart attack survivors and the people who helped save their lives. 

Officials at the conference stressed that early response CPR was critical to the survival of the heart attack victims there that day and praised people at all levels of what they call the "chain of survival": recognizing an emergency, reacting with early response CPR, waiting for EMS to arrive, stabilize and transport the patient and treatment at a hospital.

The four individuals recognized in the ceremony were:

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  • Arnold Ollson, of Timonium, who had a heart attack last July.  
  • Lydia Weiss, of Ruxton, who had a heart attack last July.
  • Dr. Scott Rifkin, of Owings Mills, who suffered a heart attack while playing basketball at the Jewish Community Center in Owings Mills last November.
  • John Wilmoth, of Perry Hall, who collapsed in his home last August. Officials said that he was saved by the early response of his son, Dave Wilmoth, who performed CPR until medics arrives.

In addition, officials recognized all the Baltimore County Fire Department staff who aided in each 911 call, and awarded a certificate of recognition to others who had helped to save the lives of the four survivors.

  • Max Mendelzon, a Jewish Community Center employee, who performed CPR on Dr. Rifkin.
  • David Wilmoth, John Wilmoth's son, who performed CPR on his father and was instrumental in saving his life.
  • Eric Olah, a 911 operator who talked David Wilmoth through the process of CPR.

In addition, Baltimore County Public Schools health education supervisor Joseph Leake revealed that, beginning in the fall, students in all Baltimore County public high schools would receive instruction in hands-only CPR as part of the required health curriculum.

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