Fairfield (NJ) Six Fairfield police officers were commended with lifesaving awards at the February 24, 2020 meeting of the mayor and council. On February 2, 2020, Super Bowl Sunday, at approximately 10:00 PM, Sergeant Steven Ptaszynski, Detective David Lagan, and Officers David DeCarlo, Sean Wilk, Rick Alves and Kevin Chen all responded to a Sand Road residence for a 57 year old unresponsive male who was not breathing and had no pulse.
The officers initiated CPR and applied an AED. The victim was ultimately shocked six times and eventually regained a pulse and began to breathe on his own. During transportation to the hospital, he regained consciousness in the ambulance.
At the meeting, Fairfield Chief of Police Anthony G. Manna emphasized how the victim reported feeling sick all day prior to becoming unresponsive but did not want to go to the hospital to be checked which again helped to highlight the department’s campaign calling for those who are not feeling well, to immediately call EMS to be assessed.
“Very often, those experiencing cardiac issues will receive warning signs before they become unresponsive. People need to take these warning signs seriously and need to seek medical attention immediately” said the chief.
Assisting Chief Anthony Manna with the presentation of the commendations for the officers was Christopher Zawisla, the individual whose life the officers’ saved.
Authorized by: Chief Anthony Manna
