Last October, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue (TVFR) was dispatched to a "Code 99" at an Open House event at Jesuit High School, 9000 S.W. Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway. When firefighters arrived they found four individuals administering CPR to Michael Whitmarsh who had suffered a cardiac arrest. Thanks to their quick intervention and ability to manually sustain a heartbeat, TVFR firefighters, using an external defibrillator and advanced life support drugs, were able to resuscitate Mr. Whitmarsh’s heart. On Tuesday, February 29, at 3 p.m., TVFR will host a reunion to thank the four individuals - Dave Poppe; Mary Joe Clark, MD; Eileen Gross, RN; and Daniel Kocarnik, MD - for saving the life of Mr. Whitmarsh. The reunion takes place at the Fire District’s Westslope fire station located at 8661 S.W. Canyon Drive (east of Hwy. 217, behind the Dairy Queen).

Public Information Officer Karen Eubanks states, "This incident clearly illustrates the life-saving benefit of CPR. Those first minutes are crucial to the outcome of a patient. If CPR is begun and maintained until our crews arrive, they can administer advanced life support procedures and increase the patient's chance for survival by 43%." In 1999, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue responded to 210 cardiac arrests.