Royal City volunteer lauded by Spokane Fire Department

ROYAL CITY - A volunteer from Grant County Fire District No. 10 (Royal City) was honored recently by the Spokane Fire Department for saving a life in Spokane last summer.

Ivan Arroyo, who had been a volunteer firefighter and EMT only three to four months at the time, just happened to in be the right place at the right time during a shopping trip with his fiancée, Zaira Arrieta.

"We are very proud of Ivan and thrilled that he was recognized for his willingness to act, which saved another person's life," GCFD10 Fire Chief Brian Evans said. "He has been a great addition to our department. His willingness to help others during their time of need is one of the key attributes of a great volunteer."

Arroyo and his fiancée went to the FastKart Indoor Raceway in Spokane to have some fun. It was sometime between 2 and 4 p.m. on Saturday, July 5, and they were viewing the safety videos - required before racing - when a commotion caught Arroyo's attention.

People were running off the track seeking help. A man of age was having a heart attack. Jayce Faulker, a FastKart employee, had taken the man out of his cart and helped him to lie down.

By then Arroyo, who rushed to assist, arrived. He identified himself as a volunteer firefighter. Faulkner went for a first-aid kit while Arroyo started CPR.

First Arroyo removed a pillow someone had placed under the man's head, realizing the tilted head was blocking the man's airway.

"He had no pulse, he wasn't breathing, and his ears were starting to turn purple," Arroyo said.

While others called for aid, Arroyo gave the CPR. He did 30 compressions then listened for a pulse. Nothing. He did it again. Again nothing.

Arroyo continued on for about seven minutes until help arrived. He assisted the Spokane EMTs in applying the breathing mask with bag pump and then stepped away.

Soon the man was on his way to a hospital, and Arroyo had no idea if he survived.

The mood was somber. So the operators closed down the track. Arroyo and his fiancée did not get to race.

Two days later, the Spokane Fire Department called Arroyo to tell him the man was alive. Arroyo was elated.

"They told me if I hadn't done CPR, the man would not have survived," he said.

Arroyo, 26, lives about eight miles west of Royal City at Adams and Frenchman Hills Roads. He is a foreman at CJKM Orchards and has been employed there four years. One of his requirements at the Orchard was to learn CPR and review it every two years.

"You never know what's going to happen, and you're a long way from help," Arroyo said.

Knowing his training could be of benefit to the community, Arroyo joined the Royal City station of Grant Country Fire District No. 10 about a year and a month ago. In Spokane, he knew what to do when he heard there was an ongoing heart attack.

"At first I was scared," he said. "Later, I had no idea if I'd done any good."

He did good. The Spokane Fire Department recognized him for it with a medal and a citation at its annual banquet.

The wedding? That's planned for summer of 2016.