Dakota County's finest first responders were given their due in a ceremony recognizing their heroic actions in life-threatening situations. Their bravery shone during the weeklong tribute to emergency medical services, an annual celebration of these frontline defenders taking place from May 18th until the 24th, as reported by Dakota County.
The cadre of first responders hailed for their valor included Eagan firefighters who, on March 17, lifted a car to free a toddler ensnared by the runaway vehicle which resulted in a punctured lung for the child, thankfully, the helmet-worn spared them a skull fracture, as reported by the Dakota County official news release.
Rosemount firefighter Bruce Sword was saved by his team after suffering a heart attack on January 23. His colleagues performed life-saving CPR and advanced cardiac care, which allowed him to be discharged from the hospital just four days later without neurological impairments. In a different kind of emergency, South St. Paul police officers aided in the birth of a baby girl named Journey for a distressed pregnant woman on March 10. They then reached out to her family to share the glad tidings, as per the information made by the official Dakota County news release.
Dakota County's emergency dispatchers—Mary Watry, Tori Bourdages, and Alyssa Stadtler—were recognized for calmly guiding panicked callers through CPR procedures over the phone, each resulting in a successful resuscitation and full recovery. Additionally, on November 12, 2024, a lifeguard at the Hastings YMCA delivered a life-saving AED shock to a collapsed swimmer, who later received an implanted defibrillator.
