Lacey Township Police Department
Life-Saving Awards
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The Lacey Township Police Department is proud to announce the awarding of life-saving citations bars (medals) to seven officers for three separate life-saving efforts over the past three months.
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On Wednesday, October 16, 2013, at 8:12 p.m., Officer Noah Schaffer, while off-duty, was approached by a frantic male indicating that his 78-year-old father had collapsed and was not breathing in a Rosewood Drive residence in Lanoka Harbor. Officer Schaffer rushed to the aid of the 78-year-old male who was not breathing and did not have a pulse after having choked on a piece of food lodged in his throat. Officer Schaffer initiated CPR. Officer Charles May arrived in response to the emergency call and joined Officer Schaffer in performing CPR. Ultimately, the obstructed airway was cleared, and as a result of the CPR, the 78-year-old male regained a pulse and was revived. Chief David A. Paprota has awarded both Officer Noah Schaffer and Officer Charles May the department’s Life-Saving Citation Bar (Medal).
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On Tuesday, November 19, 2013, at 6:57 a.m., Officers Joseph Soto, Anthony Sarno, and Frederick Anderson responded to a 9-1-1 call in which the dispatcher lost contact with the caller who was believed to be in medical distress. Upon arrival at the Birch Road address in Lanoka Harbor, officers found a 58-year-old male with no pulse and no breathing. The officers conducted several cycles of CPR. Ultimately, the 58-year-old male regained a pulse and was revived. Chief David A. Paprota has awarded Officer Anthony Sarno, Officer Frederick Anderson, and Officer Joseph Soto the department’s Life-Saving Citation Bar (Medal).
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On Tuesday, January 3, 2014, 4:08 p.m., Officer Daniel Ricciardella and Officer Scott Keefe responded to a call of an unconscious male who fell from a bicycle into a snow bank on Alpine Street and Briggs Avenue in Forked River. Upon arrival, it was determined that the 42-year-old male, James McDowell of Forked River, had no pulse and was not breathing. Without delay, both officers initiated CPR in the difficult conditions. The patient care included the use of the AED unit to resuscitate Mr. McDowell. Ultimately, the 42-year-old male regained a pulse and was revived. Chief David A. Paprota has awarded Officer Daniel Ricciardella and Officer Scott Keefe the department’s Life-Saving Citation Bar (Medal).
The citation bars are customarily worn over the badge on an officer’s Class A uniform and include a written commendation permanently placed in each officer’s personnel file. The duty of a police officer often involves dealing with some very negative incidents which too often involve some form of negative outcome. Conversely, there are instances when incredible outcomes and very personally rewarding results come from answering an emergency call-for-service. Participating in the saving of a life is one of the most rewarding actions a police officer experiences in a career serving the public. – Chief David A. Paprota, Ed.D.