Crime Stoppers honors Greenfield officer
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Greenfield Police Officer Brock Meyer, left, received a plaque for performing life-saving CPR on a man who had a cardiac incident at the Rockbridge Post Office on Christmas Eve. Meyer was presented the award by Two Rivers Crime Stoppers at their monthly meeting which was held at Overtime Bar and Grill in Greenfield on Monday, March 13. Presenting him the award was Crime Stoppers President Terry Woelfel, right, and Greenfield Police Chief John Goode, middle. (Carmen Ensinger/Greene Prairie Press)
By Carmen Ensinger
Two Rivers Crime Stoppers held their monthly meeting at Overtime Bar and Grill in Greenfield on Monday, March 13, and besides their regular business meeting, they presented an award to a Greenfield police officer saving the life of a man on Christmas Eve.
“On Dec. 24, Greenfield Police Officer Brock Meyer responded to a call for an unresponsive male subject located in Rockbridge,” Two Rivers Crime Stoppers President Terry Woelfel said. “Officer Meyer started CPR and ultimately saved the subject’s life, which is why we are honored to present him with this plaque tonight.”
Greenfield Police Chief John Goode was also in attendance and said the man, who had suffered a cardiac incident, was indeed lucky because originally no one was scheduled to work that day.
“The Saturday shift is kind of a part time shift for us and we don’t always have it filled,” Goode said. “That Friday before, Brock sent me a message and asked if it was open and said he would work on it. I don’t know what told him that he needed to work that day, but I think someone was looking out for that gentleman that day because Brock just happened to be at the right place at the right time and had he not asked for that shift, we wouldn’t had anybody on and the gentleman might not be here today.”
Meyer’s family was in attendance to see him receive the award and his mother, Janice Meyer, shared some information her son told her after the incident happened.
“The day it happened, Brock told me on the phone that he had a feeling when he got up that morning that something was going to happen that day,” Meyer said. “In a way, Brock was kind of passing it on because when he was born, he had to be airlifted to a hospital so someone saved his life and now he has passed it on.”
The gentleman who suffered the cardiac incident was a postal worker who delivered mail to the post offices to be delivered by the carriers. He happened to be at the Rockbridge Post Office when he suffered the cardiac incident.
Postal employees called for an ambulance and Officer Meyer heard the call and sped to Rockbridge to offer assistance.
Ambulances are based in Carrollton, which is a good 15 minutes out from Rockbridge. According to the American Heart Association (AHA) brain damage can occur within 4 to 6 minutes if oxygen is not restored to the brain. Brain death can occur if the cardiac arrest goes untreated for more than 10 minutes and the chances of survival decrease significantly after that point.
Further statistics from the AHA find that 73.4 percent of out of hospital cardiac arrests occur in the homes followed by 16.3 percent in public places and 10.3 percent in nursing homes. If performed immediately, CPR can double or triple the chances of survival from an out of hospital cardiac arrest.
Officer Meyer, upon arrival, began CPR and while he doesn’t recall how long he performed it, the gentleman eventually came to, before the ambulance arrived.
“As soon as he came to, the first words out of his mouth to Brock was to make sure the mail made it to Greenfield,” Meyer said. “Here is this guy, just brought back from death and he is worried about the mail getting to its destination.
Meyer said the ambulance eventually came and the gentleman was transferred to a larger hospital where a pacemaker was installed.
“I talked to a relative of his a few weeks later and he was still recovering from the broken ribs he received from Brock doing the chest compressions,” Meyer said. “She said compared to the alternative, the pain from the broken ribs was nothing.”
Goode said that while the gentleman could not be in attendance on this night, that they are going to try to get him to the next Greenfield City Council meeting on April 13.
