| Posted May 19, 2014 | By Melonee Hurt | Categorized under WMC Happenings |

Franklin resident Richard Beck wrote the book on how to flawlessly perform CPR.

Literally.

Beck has been a paramedic for 30 years and also penned the book "Pharmacology for the EMS Provider," which currently is being updated for its fifth edition.

The biggest change for the newest edition is that this time he can write Chapter 8 (cardiac emergencies) in the first person. His examples this time will be himself, his wife and other names familiar around the WMC campus: paramedics Beth Suggs and Marc Moore.

Early in the morning of March 26, Beck, who said he felt fine when he went to bed, went into cardiac arrest. His wife, Suzy, began CPR and called 911 as if she read her husband's book on exactly what to do in the event this happens. Three of WMC's EMS team, along with several Franklin firefighters, arrived on the scene and were able to resuscitate Beck, who is alive and well today, thanks to his wife and the paramedics.

The Becks stopped by the WMC EMS building two weeks after the event to thank the team for saving his life.

"How do I look standing up with clothes on?" Beck joked to the EMS team. "Seriously, though, having been a paramedic for 30 years, I can tell you, this worked like clockwork. Fast CPR, fast response and here I am."

Although Beck doesn't have enough fingers and toes to count the number of times he has personally done CPR throughout his career, his wife Suzy's first time doing it in a real-life situation was on her husband. She has been CPR-certified most of her life, but had only performed it in a practice setting.

"I am so grateful to my employer for ensuring that we all stay CPR-certified," she said. "I had just gotten my re-certification, so it was fresh in my mind. But honestly, I didn't even think. I just did it."

The humor of the initial reunion turned serious when Suzy, re-living the moment, realized how badly this could have turned out.

"We are so grateful to all of you," she said, holding back tears. "Yes, we were lucky that you guys were close and could get to our house as quickly as you did, but it was your skill that saved his life. You all were so kind and very professional. Everyone here was great. The folks in the ER, the cath lab, all the doctors here, everyone was so great."

Within minutes, the mood switched back to their shared profession and Beck and the WMC EMS personnel were knee deep in a conversation full of emergency medicine jargon that doesn't make sense to the layman's ears. Talking like old friends. Sharing war stories and experiences in the field. 

Thanks to a fast-acting spouse and some highly skilled EMS personnel, this reunion not only celebrated a life saved, but created some new friends in the process.

"I am going to use all of you as the scenario for chapter 8," Beck said. "This book has 19 chapters, but chapter 8 will be my favorite one to write."