Officer recognized for life-saving efforts
Last week, Mar-Mac Police Chief Robert Millin (right) recognized officer J.T. Cunningham’s efforts to help save the life of a McGregor woman. (Photo by Audrey Posten)
By Audrey Posten, Times-Register
Mar-Mac police officer J.T. Cunningham has been recognized for his efforts to help save the life of a McGregor woman.
Cunningham was dispatched to a residence in the city on March 25, for a woman who was found unresponsive and not breathing. After arriving and discovering the woman still had no pulse, Cunningham and others on scene began CPR.
Heading into the situation, Cunningham said he tried to keep his emotions in check.
“You have to stay calm,” he shared, “and just go with what you’ve got.”
Cunningham has been an officer with the Mar-Mac Police Department for one year. Outside a mutual aid call in Prairie du Chien, he’d yet to administer CPR in a real life and death scenario.
In this case, he performed CPR for around five minutes, until Mar-Mac and Tri-State EMS arrived.
“But it seemed like longer,” he said.
EMTs continued treatment until they arrived at a medical facility and were finally able to detect a pulse.
To recognize Cunningham’s role in the positive outcome, Mar-Mac Police Chief Robert Millin presented the officer with a life-saving award at last week’s police commission meeting.
“Thanks to officer Cunningham’s immediate response and administration of CPR, the female is alive today,” Millin noted.
Cunningham said being able to help felt rewarding. He didn’t want to take all the credit, though.
“It was a team effort,” he stressed.
In hindsight, earning his CPR certification at the academy was an important move.
“I honestly thought I’d never have to do it,” Cunningham said, “but it’s been a good thing to learn.”
