Roanoke Rapids firefighters and police officers were honored by the Halifax Resolves Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution during Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

They were honored for two different events in which the lives of two victims were saved.

Lieutenant Ramah Long and Engineer Jared Lynch of the fire department were honored for a situation on November 29 when they went to a call of a person on Fourteenth Street who was not breathing.

Ken Wilson of the SAR said the firefighters continued CPR and automatic defibrillation until EMS arrived. EMS started administering medications by IV and discovered the patient had regained a pulse. “With the patient regaining a pulse, fire and EMS personnel placed the patient on the stretcher and transported them to Vidant North. The patient when arriving at Vidant still had a pulse and care was transferred to emergency room staff.”

Long received the oak leaf cluster signifying his second award and Lynch received the lifesaving medal.

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Lowe's Home Improvement

Following that presentation Wilson presented the lifesaving medal to officers and firefighters for a December 16 situation at Lowe’s Home Improvement in which an employee was unresponsive and turning blue.

Before the officers and firefighters arrived Andy Jackson, a former officer in Roanoke Rapids and now a floor supervisor at Lowe’s, said floor supervisor William Jones administered CPR and continued to do so until he was relieved by law enforcement.

Jackson said for his efforts, Jones received the highest lifesaving award that Lowe’s offers. That award was presented to Jones by Lowe’s corporate officials.

“We need to let the public know how he started the lifesaving measures,” police Chief Bobby Martin said of Jones.

The recipients from the police department were Sergeant Daniel Hundley, who was not present at the meeting, Master Officer Jeremy Horne, and officers Elijah Ellington, and Nicole Powell. The firefighters receiving the award were Austin Jarrett and Ben Clements.

Relieving Jones, Hundley responded with a department-issued automated external defibrillator. Horne and Ellington were performing CPR and rescue breaths with a bag valve mask.  Clements and Jarrett immediately began to assist the officers in conducting pit crew style CPR by rotating in and out to keep from tiring one person out.

Wilson said EMS had a very extended time of arrival because both of the Roanoke Rapids trucks were busy and the closest EMS crew was in Halifax. “The officers and firefighters performed CPR for nearly 20 minutes before EMS arrived. Once EMS arrived, they began to administer lifesaving medicine through IV and also used their AED twice. The victim regained a pulse and was transported to Vidant North alive.”

The members of the RRPD involved received the life saving medal. 

Clements and Jarrett received an oak leaf cluster signifying a second award of the life saving medal. “Once again, we owe a debt of gratitude to our first responders who are always there when needed,” Wilson said.

Jackson said the employee is “doing quite well. I can tell you he is very grateful for the Roanoke Rapids Police Department and fire department.”