WDM officer honored for
saving a life
By Micholyn Fajen, DesMoinesRegister.com
July 5th, 2005
A West Des Moines police officer who in February
saved the life of a Martensdale man has received the
police department's life-saving award.
Officer Todd Cline was honored in a ceremony at the
police station last month for using a portable device
to shock Richard Peterson's heart and restore its
rhythm. Cline was accompanied by a gathering of his
co-workers and a grateful Peterson.
Peterson was working for Corell Contractor Inc. at
1300 Lincoln St. in West Des Moines when his heart
stopped. Co-workers performed continuous CPR on him
during the four minutes it took for officers to respond.
Cline said he sees all kinds of accidents and medical
situations, but rarely is there an opportunity to
save a life. Too many cases end sadly, he said.
"First responders are so important," he
said. "Sometimes it's the police, and sometimes
the EMS is there first. Two weeks ago, I was the first
officer to respond to the Raccoon River Nature Park
beach drowning and the first one in the water. Unfortunately,
that didn't turn out positively, and it's tragic."
Peterson was one of the lucky ones.
"I'm thankful for his work," he said of
Cline.
Cline, who carries the automated external defibrillator
device in his patrol car, said it was all part of
a day's work.
"I just slid in between his co-workers, placed
the patches on him and pushed the button," he
said. "Within a minute, he was sitting up."
Seeing signs of life moments after the defibrillator
was used on Peterson was a welcome relief, he said.
"I've used the AED unit three times in my 17-year
history, and this was the first time the results were
positive," Cline said. "That is really a
great feeling."
All West Des Moines police squad cars have defibrillators
and officers are trained every year on their operation.
Peterson's wife, Virginia, was traveling when she
received a call at the Memphis airport that her husband
had collapsed.
"I'm convinced that God put all the right people
in the right place to save him," she said, hugging
Cline at the ceremony. "I thank the Lord for
bringing my husband back."
Richard Peterson stood up to be recognized at the
ceremony as well, and nearly tumbled forward as his
foot tangled in a chair. Capt. Paul Barrows, announcing
the award, looked at him and said: "Let's not
go through this again."
Happy to be healthy - and still around to laugh -
Peterson said he and his family realized how lucky
he was. He and his wife said they were happy to have
the chance to thank Cline.
"This is the first time I met him since the
incident; he's a very nice guy," he said.
Peterson's physician said his heart short-circuited
the day of the incident. Since then he's worn an electronic
defibrillator that will automatically shock the heart
if it stops again. |
