Firefighters Revive Man in Cardiac Arrest at East Northport Movie Theater

A firefighter on his way out to dinner was part of the team that revived a man in cardiac arrest at an East Northport movie theater Saturday night, authorities said.

Alan Berkowitz, a third assistant chief at the Dix Hills Fire Department was in his car at the traffic light at Elwood Road and Jericho Turnpike, just opposite of the Elwood Cinemas, when the call for assistance came in at 8:37 p.m. 

An advanced EMT-CC (critical care), Berkowitz arrived on the scene in 40 seconds, and found the 67-year-old patient down in the aisle of the theater and in respiratory arrest. Within seconds, the patient lost his pulse and went into cardiac arrest. Berkowitz initiated CPR and hooked the patient up to his defibrillator as Dix Hills Fire District paramedic Bob Cavalieri arrived on the scene, authorities said. 

The patient was given one shock from the defibrillator and CPR was continued. Soon after, the patient's blood pressure and pulse came up as he started breathing on his own, according to officials.

Two civilians and two Suffolk County Police officers assisted the Dix Hills Fire Rescue crew, authorities said. 

"We got a pulse now," a first responder said, and nearly 100 people in the theater began clapping and cheering, according to Dix Hills Fire Chief Bill Stio, who arrived on the scene to witness the save. 

Paramedic Scott DiPino continued the patient care in the Dix Hills Rescue Squad ambulance en route to Huntington Hospital with a police escort. The patient was reported to be in stable condition in the hospital's intensive care unit.