SUSQUEHANNA, Pennsylvania –
Following an act of selfless service and response to a coworker in distress, five employees at
Defense Logistics Agency Distribution Susquehanna, Pennsylvania, were honored for their actions on the day they saved the life of an employee in the Receiving Branch.
Byron Davis was presented the DLA Meritorious Service Award by DLA Distribution Commander Army Brig. Gen. Richard Dix for performing CPR on a co-worker exhibiting signs of a heart attack.
Five employees also received letters of commendation for their immediate response: William Taylor, Penny Duprey, Joelaniel Borrero-Sanchez, Regis Hill and Donald Maurice.
"Let me tell you, when your commander [Army Col. Corey New] told me what transpired and what you had done to save a life of the teammate, I was very grateful,” Dix said.
After noticing the fallen employee, Taylor and Duprey immediately activated the orange radio emergency button, connecting them with the New Cumberland 911 Emergency Dispatch Services.
The employee had fallen on a cart path in the warehouse, and Borrero-Sanchez pushed the emergency stop button on the automated cart system to prevent carts from entering the area.
Davis was able to bring the employee back from a non-breathing state three times, while Hill held the victim’s head in a fixed position in case there was head trauma from the fall to the concrete floor.
After EMTs arrived, they administered a defibrillator on the victim before he was transported to the hospital, where he was admitted in critical but stable condition.
Maurice was available throughout the day and weeks that followed and continues to keep the workforce informed on the employee’s status.
"Each one of you is a blessing to everyone in the Susquehanna organization," Dix concluded. “You represent everything I've been preaching over the past year; this was truly a selfless act.”