Last Tuesday’s tour as a service mechanic in our Metropolitan Division started out normally for Stacy Arrick, but it ended with 15 life-changing minutes for him – and for a man he had never met before.
“At about 6:00 p.m., I was on my way back to the Clifton Headquarters after resolving an issue with a low hanging wire in Wayne,” Arrick said. “As I was driving down Belmont Avenue in Haledon, I noticed a group of about eight people standing around a man who was laying on the sidewalk. I pulled over to investigate, and when I did it was clear to me that the man was not breathing. I asked the people there how long the man had been down, but no one knew.”
Arrick acted quickly. After confirming that 911 had been called, he began administering CPR, applying chest compressions at regular intervals. The man gasped – a sign that the CPR was effective – so Arrick continued to apply compressions for the four minutes it took for police to arrive, followed by the paramedics. The first responders relieved Arrick, and continued to work on the man until he was revived. Assured that the man was in good hands, Arrick returned to headquarters.
“Stacy was so humble about the incident, which is so like him,” said Senior Operations Supervisor Kurt Hempstead. “He just matter-of-factly told his supervisor how grateful he was that he had been trained in CPR by the company. We had to pull the details out of him. In fact, when I called the Haledon Police Department the following day, the chief told me that Stacy had left the scene before his officer could even get his name.”
Hempstead was not the only teammate who was impressed by Arrick’s actions. “We were all just so proud when we learned what Stacy had done,” said Senior Director Albert Nicol. “After all the bad news we all dealt with last year, what a great way to begin the new year.”
Arrick is happy for the part he played in saving the man. “I am glad I was in the right place at the right time.”
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