Family crisis: Grissom firefighter saves grandfather Published Oct. 28, 2011 By Senior Airman Andrew McLaughlin 434th ARW Public Affairs GRISSOM AIR RESERVE BASE, Ind. -- Senior Airman Thomas M. Lennon Jr. was enjoying an evening with his grandfather, Thomas T. Lennon, when he was faced with a life or death situation. The younger Lennon, who is an Air Force Reserve firefighter with the 434th Civil Engineer Squadron, was at a restaurant in Peru, Ind., recently when his grandfather suddenly collapsed and fell to the ground hitting his head on the floor. "I need to do something," the grandson said he thought as the crisis began to unfold before him. He rushed over to help his grandfather and checked for a pulse, but there was none so he immediately began CPR. Fortunately, after about five minutes of life-saving efforts, Lennon was able to revive his grandfather just before the ambulance arrived. In the hospital, the younger Lennon said they learned his grandfather collapsed due to a severe loss of blood pressure and had suffered head trauma from his fall. "The doctor said most family members would have buckled under the pressure, but I didn't think twice," said the Grissom firefighter, who had just completed emergency medical technician school in May. He credited that training to saving his grandfather's life. "If I hadn't done the CPR class, I probably wouldn't have been able to do what I did," he added. The EMT school, which all firefighters must attend, is held at Grissom over the course of four months. During the training, the firefighters also practice the EMT skills they learn in ambulances and hospitals in the local area. Lennon's father, Master Sgt. Thomas Lennon Sr., was meeting his family at the restaurant that day and arrived to find his son saving his father's life. "I was startled to see my father lifeless and my son doing CPR," he recalled as he described his son performing CPR "like a machine." "It was an eye opener," he added. "I will definitely pay close attention during the next CPR class." The Lennons have a long history with Grissom. The grandfather was a long-time lodging manager on base, the father is a reservist with the Grissom Airman and Family Readiness center and the son recently joined the team as a firefighter. The 434th CES is part of the 434th Air Refueling Wing, the largest KC-135R Stratotanker unit in the Air Force Reserve Command. Stay connected with the 434th on Twitter and Facebook.
