Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

Two PCC Public Safety officers recognized for heroism

Photos and Story by James Hill

Two of Portland Community College’s Public Safety officers were honored with one of Portland’s most prestigious honors. Officers Jeff Grider and Kevin Loberger were awarded Portland Fire & Rescue’s Fire Chief’s Certificate of Merit for helping to resuscitate a person on campus.

“These two officers performed excellent CPR that made a difference in the patient’s outcome,” stated John Klum, Portland Fire Chief.

On April 19, Portland Fire Engine 18 was dispatched to a report of an unconscious male at the Sylvania Campus. When the engine arrived, Officers Grider and Loberger were performing mouth to mask breathing and chest compressions on the patient. In addition, the two were using an Automatic External Defibrillator and let Portland Fire know immediately that a shock wasn’t necessary.

As they continued with the CPR, members from Engine 18 hooked up their LifePak 12, established an advanced airway, administered cardiac arrest drugs, obtained secondary vitals and loaded the patient for transport to Oregon Health & Science University.

“Without their assistance, the patient would not have converted from ‘no pulse’ to a patient with sustained vitals,” Klum added. The certificate was circulated to Portland City Commissioners, including Randy Leonard.

This isn’t the first time Officer Grider has leaped into action to save a life. In winter of 2009, he assisted an elderly man who had gotten lost in 30-degree weather. He was awarded the Citizen Recognition Award by the Lake Oswego Police Department for helping the man, who would have froze to death if he hadn’t intervened.

Officer Loberger, while working at the Fred Meyer store in Canby a few years ago, aided a collapsed woman in the store by giving CPR, saving her life.