FDL Fire And Rescue Present Life Saving Award To Three Citizens

Fond du Lac Fire and Rescue Thursday honored three residents with a Citizen Life Safety Award. Jennie Mildebrandt, Jacqui Kaufman and Vicky Raddatz teamed up to provide CPR and defibrillation after Gary Gerner collapsed at the YMCA while exercising on an elliptical machine on Monday, January 11th of 2016. Vicky Raddatz is a physical education teacher at Roberts Elementary School.  She says her training took over. Mildebrandt a YMCA employee, Raddatz and Gerner were reunited for the ceremony. Gerner’s eyes began filling with tears and he said he was glad to be there, but his wife died at the end of last month and he would have loved to have her there too. He says he had to be shocked seven times during his ordeal and didn’t come to until six days later. Gary was 42 minutes into his 45 minute exercise regimen when the attack occurred. Kaufman, a nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital in West Bend wasn’t able to attend the ceremony.

In the picture left to right Vicki Raddatz, Gary Gerner and Jennie Mildebrandt. Jacqui Kaufman was not present for the ceremony.