Ames Police Officers Use CPR To Save Man's Life

Originally ran Aug 10 2012 04:32pm

Ames Police Officer Jamie Miller peered in the back door of a duplex during a welfare check on Beach Avenue last February. A neighbor called and said they heard an alarm.

Miller said he saw smoke filling the home and saw the flicker of a flame from the kitchen stove and could barely make out the shape of man lying on the floor.

“From there instinct just took over,” Miller said recently recounting the story. He kicked down the back door and went in along with Officer Ed Morton who arrived to help. The officers carried the man, who was not breathing and without a pulse, outside while pushing the burning pan from the stove and started CPR.

Moments later, the officers were able to detect a faint pulse, but the man struggled to breathe, Miller said.

Ames Fire Department and paramedics arrived shortly afterward and took over from there. The man was sent to Mary Greeley Medical Center and Miller learned later that the man was expected to make a complete recovery.

“It was a pretty neat feeling to know I was able to do that,” Miller said.

Both Miller and Morton were recognized with a life-saving award at a July meeting. The honor is something both men said they didn't expect.

“We assume that's what is expected of us. That's what we are here to do,” Miller said.

It was the second time Morton, who has worked in Ames since 1977, received the honor. He was able to save the life of a three month old baby in 1998. He and another officer responded to call about a child that wasn't breathing.

They performed CPR but Morton said, “God brought him back to life.”

Morton said Ames Fire Department usually arrives first to medical calls and does a fine job, but that wasn't always the case when he first starting working for the department.

Ames Police Chief Charles Cychosz told the council that although Ames has an outstanding emergency response system the recent life saved underscored the value of trained officers responding quickly.

“In this case, you put yourself at risk in order to save the life of another. Your efforts exemplify everything that citizens expect of us in our commitment to a safe community,” Cychosz said.

Miller, whose been a police officer for 20 years and 12 years here in Ames, has used CPR in an attempt to save someone less than a dozen times.

“It's not always successful,” he said.

“You're not always able to save a life,” he said.