Off-duty Ottawa firefighter carrying tourniquet helps save life of pedestrian struck by vehicle

An off-duty Ottawa firefighter is being credited for saving the life of a pedestrian struck by a vehicle in Centretown last week. CTV’s Katie Griffin reports.

An off-duty Ottawa firefighter is being credited with helping to save the life of a pedestrian seriously injured after being struck by a vehicle in Centretown Friday afternoon.

Jason Murray, who is also first aid instructor for the fire service, was in the area of Laurier Avenue and O’Connor Street when he saw the aftermath of the crash and knew he had to act fast.

The vehicle also damaged a building nearby, leaving behind glass and debris.

“The car had smashed through the glass and on the ground in front of the vehicle was a young man that was holding his leg,” Murray said.

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Murray has carried a tourniquet in his backpack for more than a decade — something urgently needed to help stop the bleeding.

“I said, ‘I’m a first responder, I’m going to put a tourniquet on your leg to help stop the bleeding.’”

Murray said other people went to get first aid kits and cloths.

“It was cut pretty bad by the glass and so we used one of those Terry cloths to hold pressure on the wound and I got him to focus on holding that pressure,” Murray said.

“And I’ll say he was very calm, based on the circumstance.”

Ottawa police have charged the driver with carless driving causing bodily harm under the Highway Traffic Act.

“This is a call where every second mattered and even though firefighters were first on scene two minutes after the initial 911 call, the work that our off-duty firefighter did in assessing and treating the patient bought our firefighters the time they needed for when they arrived, and it ultimately saved a life that day,” said Nick DeFazio, public information officer with Ottawa Fire Services.

“The residents that helped that day as well made a big difference and it can be something like making the 911 call or other residents actually went and got first aid kits for our off-duty firefighter to help the patient. All those things make a big difference and there’s always a way to help,” DeFazio said.

Murray said it felt different responding to an emergency off duty.

“There’s calmness when you respond as a crew and it’s a little bit of a different feeling to certainly be the first person there and what decisions you make will significantly impact how that person’s sort of day finishes. So, I’m just happy that I could play a helpful part and a positive outcome.”

Murray hasn’t spoken to the man since Friday but wishes him well in his recovery.

“Ottawa police, Ottawa fire and Ottawa paramedics do hundreds of calls on a week together and it’s nice to see how each service was able to work together, with again, the assistance of myself and the other [passersby] that day to help get a positive outcome.”

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