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MARSHALL -- A Lyon County Sheriff's deputy was able to use his emergency medical training to save a life this summer.
At Tuesday's Lyon County Board meeting, Deputy Dustin Demuth was recognized for his efforts helping a woman who was having a severe allergic reaction.
Demuth and Sheriff Eric Wallen said a partnership between the county and Tracy Ambulance made it possible for Demuth to carry equipment like an EpiPen in his patrol car.
"I did what I was trained to do," Demuth said. "But with that partnership, we made that possible."
Demuth was presented with a life-saving award by Wallen and Paula Goblish. On Aug. 28, Goblish was stung by a wasp in rural Marshall, and had a severe reaction. An ambulance was called, but Demuth was also able to arrive at the scene within about five minutes, Wallen said. Demuth was able to administer epinephrine and provide emergency care for Goblish until the ambulance arrived.
"By listening to the paramedics that were there, they informed me that, had Dustin not administered the EpiPen, Ms. Goblish might not have fared as well as she did," Wallen said. "It was pretty bad and could have got much worse, if not fatal."
Goblish was at Tuesday's county board meeting, along with members of her family. She presented Demuth with a life-saving award pin, and gave him a hug.
It was unique that Demuth was able to offer EMT-level medical assistance while on duty as a deputy, Wallen said.
"About a year ago, the Sheriff's Office entered into a partnership with Tracy Ambulance, which allows one of our deputies to operate as an EMT while he's on duty," Wallen said. "Typically, all of our law enforcement staff are only trained up to the first responder level. The EMT is the next step above that."
Demuth, who is already an EMT who works for Tracy Ambulance, asked Wallen if they could do something that would allow him to carry EMT-level equipment in his patrol car.
"There's definitely a need," Demuth said.
In rural communities, emergency medical responders often have other jobs as well, or work outside the community they serve. That can add to the time it takes for an ambulance crew to respond to a medical emergency.
"So we kind of have a crisis with rural EMS, and I just felt that this was a way to be able to hopefully bridge that gap a little bit," he said.
Tracy Ambulance was able to help provide equipment for Demuth, and the Sheriff's Office also contributed defibrillator and chest compression devices, Wallen said.
Having another responder with EMT training and equipment can help shorten response times, Wallen said.
"We know ambulances have a lot of ground to cover, and it takes time to get there," he said. "If (Demuth) is close by, he can cut that time down dramatically."