From the left, EMSA Communications Supervisor Andrew Core, John Lieber, Hannah Scace, EMT Alex Rodriguez, and Paramedic Colton Ennis, pose for a photo at the Tulsa Tennis Club, Aug. 24. Lieber and Scace performed bystander CPR at the club in April, successfully saving the patient. Core, Rodriguez, and Ennis all responded to the 911 call.
TULSA, Okla. (Aug. 24, 2026) — When several members arrived at the Tulsa Tennis Club on a Thursday evening in April, nothing was out of the ordinary. John Lieber and Hannah Scace frequently visited the club for some leisurely matches and to spend time with friends and family. This evening was supposed to be no different than the rest. Six miles away at EMSA’s dispatch center, Communications Supervisor Andrew Core was nearing the end of his shift. Before clocking out for the day, his next caller would hear how a dispatcher with over 20 years of experience handles an emergency with composure and confidence. Back at the tennis club, Lieber witnessed a fellow tennis player collapse and become unresponsive. Without hesitation, he immediately dialed 911 and began coordinating a response with another bystander.
The Call Connects to EMSA
Core, who has assisted countless callers in times of need, immediately verified the location of the caller and began confirming the details of the emergency. Lieber, remaining calm in an otherwise stressful situation, spoke clearly and calmly to Core, who reassured him that help was on the way. As soon as an emergency call reaches the EMSA dispatch center, the team begins sending an ambulance regardless of the nature of the call. Within 15 seconds, the dispatchers assigned an ambulance to respond. “As we are taking a call and assigning an ambulance, we are asking a lot of necessary questions so we can give the best response in the least amount of time,” said Core. “The more information we can give a responding crew, like the approximate age of a patient or where they are inside a building, the better prepared they can be once they arrive on scene. The caller doesn’t have to know everything, though. An approximation is usually enough to help us.”
Riley Howard, EMSA community engagement manager, speaks at the Tulsa Tennis Club, Aug. 24, during a ceremony honoring two people who successfully performed bystander CPR, saving the patient.
An EMSA Ambulance is Assigned
EMSA’s ambulances are staged at rotating “posts” around the service areas of Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Determined using recent and historical data of emergency responses, this system helps EMSA stage ambulance crews at certain locations during certain times of the day. The goal is to place responders at a location closest to a possible emergency, effectively reducing the amount of time it takes for an ambulance to arrive on scene and limiting the amount of time crews spend in locations that aren’t likely to be near any calls. When Paramedic Colton Ennis and EMT Alex Rodriguez received their assignment, they were just 3 miles from the Tulsa Tennis Club. Two seconds later, they were on their way to the scene. “Seconds matter when someone is going through cardiac arrest,” said Rodriguez. “For a ‘priority one’ call like this, we use our lights and sirens so we can reach the patient as quickly and safely as possible. We only do this when absolutely necessary, as it introduces added risk to our safety and to other vehicles on the roadway, but this was definitely one of those critical moments.”
En Route to Tulsa Tennis Club
During cardiac arrest, the flow of oxygenated blood to the brain and body is interrupted. Within seconds, this lack of blood flow can cause severe tissue damage. Within minutes, the patient could die. Once a bystander recognizes that someone is experiencing cardiac arrest, usually by witnessing a sudden collapse and receiving no response from the patient, the most critical action they can take after dialing 911 is placing the call on “speaker phone” and beginning CPR. “With several minutes between the time we’re dispatched and the time we can begin CPR, bystanders must be willing to take action,” said Ennis, the paramedic assigned to respond to this emergency. “Their quick response immediately gets blood flowing to and from the brain and other vital organs and greatly increases the patient’s chance of survival.” All EMSA dispatchers are Certified Emergency Medical Dispatchers trained to deliver easily understood CPR instructions to callers and other bystanders over the phone. Lieber had previous CPR training, and Scace, who was sitting nearby, heard the yells for help and jumped into action to use the club’s automated external defibrillator, or AED. This portable device monitors a patient’s heart rhythm and can deliver an electrical shock to restore a normal heartbeat. “I have to be recertified in CPR every two years,” said Lieber. “At the first part of every month, I try to review the CPR manual to refresh my recollection, and the day prior, I had been reviewing that. I just feel like if I were called upon, I needed to have this information fresh in my mind.”
EMSA EMT Alex Rodriguez presents an Everyday Heroes plaque to John Lieber at the Tulsa Tennis Club, Aug. 24. In April, Lieber provided lifesaving CPR to a fellow tennis player who experienced cardiac arrest. Rodriguez was one of the responders to arrive at the scene.
From the dispatch center, Core continued asking important questions and delivering clear instructions to the bystanders to ensure the patient was receiving the highest quality CPR until the ambulance crew arrived and could take over. After connecting the AED to the patient and conducting CPR compressions, the AED detected a “shockable rhythm” from the patient’s heart and began its process of delivering an electrical shock. The bystanders followed the instructions from the dispatcher on the phone and the audible instructions from the AED, paused their compressions, and ensured they were no longer touching the patient. The AED delivered the electrical shock. The sudden electrical impulse caused the patient’s heart to resume a normal rhythm, and the patient began to regain responsiveness. “The fact that [the patient] regained consciousness and asked, ‘what happened,’ was definitely a testament that we did everything right,” said Scace. “Our training, John’s CPR, and the AED all worked exactly how it was supposed to. It was awesome.”
EMSA Paramedic Colton Ennis presents an Everyday Heroes plaque to Hannah Scace at the Tulsa Tennis Club, Aug. 24. In April, Scace provided lifesaving CPR to a fellow tennis player who experienced cardiac arrest. Ennis was one of the responders to arrive at the scene.
EMSA Arrives on Scene
By the time Paramedic Ennis and EMT Rodriguez arrived on scene less than six minutes after the emergency call was made, the patient was already awake and talking. However, this doesn’t put an end to the emergency. The crew still conducted assessments, began treatment to monitor and stabilize the patient, and transported them to a hospital for further assessment and treatment. “It’s not every day you show up to a cardiac arrest where the patient is already speaking with you and moving around,” said Ennis. “It just shows how important it is to begin CPR as quickly as possible. Not every cardiac arrest will be as successful as this one, but when bystanders know how to respond, it definitely increases a patient’s chances. We were very happy to have such a positive outcome for this patient and are thankful to those who stepped in to help.” Lieber and Scace never could have predicted they’d use their CPR knowledge that evening. The patient, however, was thankful they had the willingness to act when faced with a life-or-death scenario. “I’m blessed for everything they did that day,” said the patient, who wished to remain anonymous. “Because of their quick action, I’ve had a great recovery with essentially no damage to my heart. If they hadn’t acted quickly, I wouldn’t be here today.” When the tennis players stepped onto the court that evening in April, they expected to play a few matches and leave a bit more tired than they had arrived. They had no idea some of them would be leaving as heroes and another would be leaving with a second chance at life.
John Lieber and Hannah Scace were recognized by EMSA as Everyday Heroes at the Tulsa Tennis Club, Aug. 24. In April, Lieber and Scace provided lifesaving CPR to a fellow tennis player who experienced cardiac arrest.