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Date: 6/8/2023
LONGMEADOW — Five Longmeadow police officers were recognized by the Hampden County Emergency Medical Services Council for saving the lives of residents in medical distress.
Longmeadow Fire Lt. Carl Viera submitted the requests to the EMS Council for the police officers. There are three criteria for the awards.
The patient must be in confirmed cardiac arrest, CPR must be performed and the patient must leave the hospital “with little to no neurological impairment,” Police Capt. Carl Mazzaferro said.
In March 2022, officers Peter MacElhiney, Andrew Makara David Farnam responded to an emergency call for a 57-year-old person on Brooks Circle who was having a stroke. After administering CPR, the Longmeadow Fire Department arrived and took over life-saving measures.
Meanwhile, in January, officers. Frederic Almeida and Blake Martin responded to a call for medical help on Ferncroft Street. There, a 61-year-old was found not breathing. Again, CPR was administered by the officers, before the ambulance crew arrived and took over.
Mazzaferro said it is common for police to be the first to respond to medical emergencies because they are already on patrol and are usually closer to the patient.
“It just shows the work between the police and fire departments,” Mazzaferro said.