4 Walker County First Responders Receive Life Saving Commendations

Four Walker County first responders received a Life Saving Commendation recently for their efforts to save a life.

Around 8:40 p.m. on the night of August 5, 2023, the Walker County 911 Communication Center dispatched Walker County Fire Rescue to a possible cardiac arrest. Dispatchers Beth McJunkin and Lisa Pless advised someone already at the scene to initiate CPR.

When Sergeant Austin Goldsmith and Firefighter Michael Daughtrey arrived, they quickly assessed the approximate 50-year-old male patient and determined he was not breathing and had no pulse.

While CPR efforts continued, the fire rescue crew attached an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to the patient. Following protocol, Sgt. Goldsmith delivered a shock from the AED after it was advised. Emergency personnel then continued compressions and ventilations.

Crews reassessed the patient and determined circulation had returned and the patient had started to breath on his own. He was then transitioned to an ambulance and transported to the closest appropriate hospital.

Due to their quick actions, Sgt. Goldsmith, Daughtrey, McJunkin and Pless all received a Life Saving Commendation.