DEPUTY HONORED FOR ACTION HEART ATTACK VICTIM SURVIVED.Byline: Bhavna Mistry Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - A Santa Clarita sheriff's deputy was among 23 colleagues honored Thursday with the Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County Sheriff's Department's first-ever Lifesaving Awards Bronze Medallion Award of Merit The Award of Merit is available to any lifesaver who has obtained their Bronze Medallion and Life Support 2. In addition, candidates must be over 15 in order to take part. . Deputy Lance Westfall received the gold medal gold medal traditional first prize. [Western Cult: Misc.] See : Prize with red and white ribbons for saving the life of Neil Harris, a Castaic man who was in full cardiac arrest cardiac arrest n. Abbr. CA A sudden cessation of cardiac function, resulting in loss of effective circulation. Cardiac arrest A condition in which the heart stops functioning. in September 2000. ``He got there and found out that the person was not breathing and didn't have a pulse,'' sheriff's Lt. Mike Dunkle said. ``Basically he kept him alive until the Fire Department got there. Westfall, assisted by Harris' wife, performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), emergency procedure used to treat victims of cardiac and respiratory arrest. CPR can be done in a hospital with drugs and special equipment or as a first-aid technique. on the man for three to four minutes. A county fire captain who arrived at the scene later wrote a letter of commendation COMMENDATION. The act of recommending, praising. A merchant who merely commends goods he offers for sale, does not by that act warrant them, unless there is some fraud: simplex commendatio non obligat. for the deputy. ``It must be recognized that success like this is not the norm for patients in full arrest,'' Capt. Terry Holden said in his letter. ``Without the life-saving effort of Officer Westfall, this patient's chances would have been slim at best. Officer Westfall's actions were an integral part of providing this patient a second chance for life.'' Harris also wrote a letter to the deputy thanking him for his heroic actions. ``Your quick and effective action saved me from death or brain damage,'' Harris said in his letter. ``It is difficult to find appropriate words to thank you but I do thank you for your quick and effective action.'' Sheriff Lee Baca Leroy David Baca (b. May 27 1942, East Los Angeles, California) is the Sheriff of Los Angeles County, California. After graduating from Benjamin Franklin High School (Los Angeles) in 1960, Baca worked his way through East Los Angeles College before starting with the L.A. presented the awards during a quarterly management conference. Baca said deputies often are not recognized for heroic actions. ``We are realizing this is an important part of law enforcement work,'' said Deputy Darren Harris, who is not related to the victim. ``These heroic acts don't show bravery, but it demonstrates a pretty important part of what we do.'' Along with the medals, the deputies received scrolls outlining their lifesaving acts and pins to wear on their uniforms. Though the department does honor deputies who risk their lives in an effort to save others, the awards distributed Thursday are presented to deputies who save a life but are not in any peril themselves. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca, left, congratulates Deputy Lance Westfall after presenting him with one of the department's first Lifesaving Award medals for keeping a heart attack victim alive. |
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