Lifesaving actions honored

    Holyoke Police Department has much to be proud of after an awards presentation at City Hall on Monday afternoon, Sept. 25. Representatives of the Fraternal Order of Police recognized Sgt. Mark Werts and Officer Joe Marcum with Outstanding Service and Lifesaving Awards for their heroic actions Oct. 22, 2016.
    On that day less than one year ago, pastor Jeremiah Krieger was shot in the right forearm by another shooter’s accidental discharge at the Phillips County Gun Range. Marcum and Werts responded to the scene, applying a tourniquet and administering first aid until an ambulance arrived.
    Werts, who is the local FOP vice president, nominated Marcum for the award, and the FOP agreed with his assessment that Marcum’s actions may have very well saved Krieger’s life. Having reviewed the case, however, the FOP believed Werts was also deserving of the award, and FOP National Trustee Rob Pride made an unexpected presentation to him as well.
    Krieger was in attendance, expressing his appreciation for the police department’s response to his accident last year. Marcum’s wife, Amber, as well as Mayor Orville Tonsing and city council member John Schneider joined in congratulating the officers for their outstanding work.

HPD receives AED
    Also presented at Monday’s ceremony was a new automated external defibrillator. Stephen Schulz, president of the Colorado FOP, presented the AED to Police Chief Doug Bergstrom. Up until that point, HPD has three AEDs that were kept in officers’ vehicles. With four officers in the department, that left them one short of 24/7 access to a defibrillator in case of emergency.
    Werts notified the FOP of the department’s need, and through a grant with the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation, one was donated. Now each of the police vehicles will have one of the potentially lifesaving devices at all times, providing added safety for the citizens of Holyoke and the police officers.
    According to the American Heart Association, the shock delivered by an AED can “potentially stop an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest.” If sudden cardiac arrest is not treated within minutes, it can quickly lead to death. Having AEDs in police vehicles may save valuable time in life-threatening situations.