Police, Firefighters and Paramedics Honored For Life-Saving Responses

The City of New Bedford is recognizing the work of 15 police officers, firefighters and paramedics for their responses to a pair of life threatening incidents last month.

The fifteen were presented certificates on Thursday at City Hall for their efforts responding to a stabbing on August 8th , and a heart attack on August 22nd.

Mayor Jon Mitchell says their work was public safety at its best. "The first business of government is to keep people safe, and because of the level of importance and the urgency of the moment, what they did was extraordinary," said Mitchell.

Paramedic Sharie Miles responded to both incidents. In each case the victim's survived and are recovering. Miles tells WBSM News, public safety personnel take a lot pride in their work. "We try to implement in every single call the best that we can possible do and have the absolute best outcome for every patient that we come in contact with," said MIles, "its just what we go out there to do, every day."

District Fire Chief Scott Kruger responded to the cardiac arrest on the 22nd. He says to bring someone back to life, who didn't have a pulse and is not breathing is a great feeling.

Others presented with certificates were Police Officers Dominique Sherburne, Jason Hill, and Lt. Paul Demers. Also, Paramedic Paul Levesque and Firefighters Robert Ferreira, Jolene Menard, Nathan Venancio, District Chief David Cooper, Marco Delima, Justin Pontes, Nathan Sylvia, Captain Matthew Ostiguy, and Lt. Peter Mello