The evening of Friday, May 8 was unlike any other for Ruben Hernandez, Security Supervisor at New York’s Hotel Pennsylvania. Ruben had just started his shift, which typically runs from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., when he got a call that a guest was unresponsive in a fifth floor room. Ruben grabbed the hotel’s automated external defibrillator (AED) and started running. Fortunately, the elevator door on the ground floor was open. That alone could have meant life or death for the guest. When Ruben arrived at the scene, he and his fellow Security Officer, Danny Sandoval, began administering cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). When CPR failed to revive the guest, Ruben made the decision to activate the AED. The AED told Ruben to administer a shock to the guest using the AED but the man did not respond. Following the instructions of the AED, Ruben tried CPR again. Nothing. The AED asked for a second shock and more CPR was performed. Again, nothing. Finally, after a third shock was administered, the man started moving. This was at least 20 minutes after the man had collapsed. Today, that man is still alive, in a hospital and with a pacemaker.
I spoke with Ruben, a former police officer, this past week and he told me about his experience on May 8. A combination of training and lots of adrenaline kicked in at the right time. Ruben, who has worked for the Hotel Pennsylvania for 16 years, receives CPR and AED refresher training every year and is certified every two years. “Any [CPR & AED] training you have, take it very seriously,” Ruben said. “Some day you may be a life saver.”
Ruben gave a lot of himself that night and he and those who assisted him deserve to be called heros. “I think about the experience every day,” said Ruben, whose uniform had to destroyed after the life-saving experience.
‘Quick Thinking and Training’
In a press release issued after the event, Gene Nicotra, General Manager of the Hotel Pennsylvania said, “Ruben has gone above and beyond the call of duty, and has saved a life with his quick thinking and training. We applaud Ruben for being a true superhero.”
For their actions, both Ruben and Danny received Hotel Pennsylvania “superhero” trophies and Ruben also received a generous gift certificate to replace the clothing that had to be destroyed.
What happened at the Hotel Pennsylvania several weeks ago is a reminder of the importance of CPR/AED training and having an AED easily available. The saved man was fortunate to have someone like Ruben working in the same building. How ready would you or your staff be if something similar happened at your property? I certainly hope you have a plan in place.
At the core of green lodging is caring about your guests and associates, and using reasonable care in preparing to help them when they are in trouble.
Thanks to Ruben, Danny and those who trained them, a man gets to live many more days—an incredible gift and second chance.
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