“Once on scene, they quickly realized most of the residents were unable to assist in their evacuation due to mobilization and medical issues,” said acting Police Chief James McCarty, reading from a nomination by Sgt. Julie Fiebig.
Each of the residents needed “extreme assistance” to evacuate from the fire and each of the officers had to physically lift or assist the residents into wheelchairs and then get them to safety, McCarty said.
“The officers worked well as a team, not only amongst Miami Twp. officers, but also as multiple jurisdictions responded to assist,” he said. “Without the courage, bravery of our officers, I’m certain several other residents would have suffered injuries.”
Also recognized for their heroics were officers Matthew Randolph, Cody Lee and Danielle Schweickart, who saved a 6-year-old boy’s life Feb. 11.
Upon arriving at the scene, officers found the boy unresponsive, not breathing and his face turning purple, McCarty said.
“The officers worked diligently to administer back blows and abdominal thrust, ultimately clearing Cameron’s airway and restoring his ability to breathe,” McCarty told the Miami Twp. Board of Trustees during their most recent meeting.
The boy was taken by Miami Valley EMS to Dayton Children’s Hospital, where he received treatment and made a full recovery, he said.
“The mother came to the police department ... to express that she firmly believed if it wasn’t for these officers’ efforts, her son would have passed away,” McCarty said.
The incident also highlighted the need for anti-choking equipment, leading to the department’s purchase of LifeVac devices, which McCarty said have helped save 1,400 people nationally, 900 of them children.
All Miami Twp. police cruisers are now outfitted with the device and every officer is trained in how to use it, he said.
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