Dispatcher Performs In-Person Rescue

Armstrong County (Penn.) dispatcher Kim Heckman interrupted her meal at a restaurant to perform the Heimlich maneuver on someone who was choking on food. The mid-August incident occurred while Heckman was attending a training event in the city of State College. She was recently honored by county commissioners, including commissioner Jim Scahill, who said, “Our dispatchers are unsung heroes and Kim is one of them.” Heckman is a 22-year veteran dispatcher, an EMT for 25 years, and a volunteer firefighter for 14 years. During the ceremonies, Scahill recalled another incident: it was Heckman who performed CPR on Scahill several years ago when he suffered a heart attack outside 911 center several years ago, saving his life.