New Sheboygan County dispatch system helps saves woman life

 

SHEBOYGAN COUNTY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- A new emergency response system is now being credited with helping save a woman's life. 

The Sheboygan County Sheriff’s Office celebrated the first life saved by their new Medical Priority Dispatch System on Tuesday. 

The new computer system gives dispatch step-by-step instructions to share with callers in an emergency.

This allows life-saving measures to begin well before emergency responders even get on the scene.

The system is credited with saving 47-year-old Sharon Zielke's life when she went into full cardiac arrest in January. 

Dispatch was able to tell Sharon's boyfriend, Bob Herzog, how to perform CPR on her, helping Bob save Sharon’s life.

Tuesday the Sheriff’s Office gave the dispatcher, Chris Damkot, an award for her work.

 “I look back at the way we did do dispatch and the way we do it now, and I would never go back Damkot said. “People are just reaching out they want to stay on the phone with us and they want our help.”

 Sharon was well enough to return to work just a few weeks after the incident.

"I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart that I'm here today and I will see my children have children," Zielke said.

Aside from cardiac arrests, the new system can also give tips to help people administer NARCAN, emergency childbirth, and many other medical issues.