CHATHAM, Ill. (WAND) - Three police officers in Chatham were honored with a high award.
Officers J.R. Richards, Darrek Galloway and Andrew Thompson all received the Life Saving Award.
These awards are given to officers who have performed in medical emergencies and used measures like CPR.
"I think it's every officer's job to save lives in some capacity, from traffic enforcement to being a first responder on an emergency scene," Galloway said.
On Aug. 16, Officer Richards and Officer Galloway responded to a call where a 14-year-old had been vomiting. After arriving on scene, the officers realized the child was not breathing and had no pulse.
"I was told I was doing CPR for approximately eight minutes, which is a long time to do CPR," Galloway said. "This was an exceptional success story, where [the child] fully recovered."
On Dec. 6, Officer Thompson helped save the life of a 20-year-old woman. When he arrived on scene, she was unresponsive.
"I showed up on scene, and a family member was outside screaming," Thompson said. "I just jumped in and started doing CPR on her and just continued to do that until Chatham EMS arrived."
During these situations, the officers said they had to think quickly and rely on their training.
"Your adrenaline is going, you're just trying to figure out what the best course of action is to help whoever is in need," Thompson said.
The officers said they are proud to work in a community that supports them.
"It's the whole reason I got into law enforcement," Thompson said. "I wanted to help people."
