Northfield Officers Awarded For Saving A LIfe

In the early morning hours of April 22, Northfield police officers were going about their jobs when the call came in that someone was in trouble. Thirty-five-year-old Brian Porter was in cardiac arrest. They knew when they got the call they were going to have to move and make decisions quickly.

While the officers were on the way, the dispatcher advised Porter's wife, Rachel, in giving CPR. Officers Steve Klostermeier and Drew Wierson then arrived, with Wierson taking over the CPR and Klostermeier using the Automatic External Defibrillator. The AED delivered several shocks and the officers continued to help when Northfield Hospital and EMS arrived.

In a letter to Northfield Police Chief Monte Nelson, Dr. Jennifer Fischer, the EMS Medical Director for Northfield Hospital and Clinics, said the officers were the key to a positive outcome for Porter.

Wierson is a neighbor to the Porters and said it's a bit of a different feeling when you are helping someone you know, although Nelson said the officers did not let that fact bother them.

According to the Northfield News, awards were presented on August 16. Nelson gave credit to not only the officers but also the dispatchers who instructed Rachel, EMS professionals responding, Northfield Hospital Emergency Room staff, and Canvas Church, which purchased four AEDs and donated them for the police squad cars.