"He is a Hero to me"
| On February 19, 1999
Dispatcher Greg Grove was working the 9-1-1 call-taker position at the Harford County
Emergency Operations Center in Hickory, Maryland. At a moments notice, his skills as
a 9-1-1 dispatcher and EMT-B will be pushed to the limits. A frantic mother calls
9-1-1 to report that her ten day old baby has stopped breathing. Carol Noy knew
infant CPR but had forgotten in her shock at the time her son Conner stopped breathing.
Dispatcher Grove coached Mrs. Noy through rescue breathing which ultimately saved
her baby's life. The 9-1-1 tape revealed Mrs. Noy saying "My
baby stopped breathing". After obtaining her address Dispatcher Grove reassured
the caller that the ambulance was being dispatched and then proceeded to instruct the
mother on how to save her baby's life. He asked Conner's age and then instructed
Mrs. Noy to lay him on his back, tilt his head back, check for anything blocking his
airway and they began infant rescue breathing. After six puffs of air into Conner's
nose and mouth, he began to breath on his own.
"His pleasant, reassuring voice kept me calm enough to do what had
to be done," Mrs. Noy said. The young mother said that she was planning to take
Conner to the Emergency Room for excessive vomiting and coughing when he suddenly stopped
breathing. "I was just holding him and he stopped breathing," Mrs. Noy
told Dispatcher Grove while they were waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
"Dispatcher Grove was professional, yet sympathetic," said
Mrs. Noy in a letter she wrote commending him. "He is a Hero to me." |
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Dispatcher Greg Grove
Dispatcher Greg Grove has been employed with the Harford
County Division of Emergency Operations since June 1998 and is a Certified Emergency
Medical Dispatcher, trained to provide assistance in all types of 9-1-1 calls. His
service continued into the community in his off-duty hours as a firefighter and EMT-B with
the Jarrettsville Volunteer Fire Company.
Dispatcher Grove was honored in a recent ceremony at the
Emergency Operations Center on March 25, 1999. Dispatcher Grove was presented with a
proclamation from Councilman Lance Miller on behalf of the entire Harford County Council.
Attending to provide their heartfelt thanks was the entire Noy family, including
Conner. On April 13, 1999 Dispatcher Grove was again honored in an awards ceremony
presented by County Executive James Harkins. |
