Chelmsford officers honored for life-saving, on-duty service

In the middle of a snowstorm on Jan. 29, Chelmsford resident Randi Davidson found her husband, Scott, unresponsive in cardiac arrest. She called 911, when call receivers instructed her how to perform CPR, but unconscious patients don’t always pull through.

Yet despite the adverse weather and Davidson’s uncertain chance of survival, he fully recovered, even walking his daughter down the aisle just weeks later.

For their on-duty service that saved Davidson’s life, Chelmsford Police Sgt. Stephen Fredericks and Officers Aiden Gillis and Ashley Rokas were honored by ZOLL Medical in a ceremony at corporate headquarters on May 18, during National EMS Week.

The three officials were dispatched after emergency operators alerted them to the situation, and Gillis happened to be just minutes away from the incident on Linwood Avenue. Within three minutes, all three were on scene, and Gillis and Rokas took turns administering CPR to Davidson.

Davidson received a shock from an automated external defibrillator, and when the paramedics from the Fire Department and PrideStar EMS arrived, Davidson was transported to Lowell General Hospital, where he made a full recovery.

Half of the patrol union must be EMT-certified, Rokas said, and it’s an important tool given that officers are always first on scene in emergency situations. When someone is unconscious and experiencing cardiac arrest, Rokas said the odds are “slim,” which makes Davidson’s outcome so miraculous.

Although performing CPR doesn’t get easier, Rokas said her seven years of experience allow her to jump into action, “no more thinking.”

“The faster you can start CPR and keep the blood going, the better, and the longer they’re down without any lifesaving procedures, the less likely they are to recover,” Rokas said. “We were just in the right place at the right time. We could have been across town in the weather, it was the worst snowstorm we had all year.”

Rokas and her colleagues were recognized through ZOLL’s Heroes for Life Program, which honors officers and other personnel for their work in saving the lives of those who suffer sudden cardiac arrest.

In response to the care he received from the Chelmsford Police and other officials, Davidson said he is very grateful.

“Thank you very much for making a difference. Thank you, thank you, thank you,” Davidson said to first responders. “I want to get out the message: Learn CPR.”

As part of the Heroes for Life Program, ZOLL gave the Davidsons an automated external defibrillator, which they will donate to a charity of their choice.

Police Chief James Spinney said he is proud of his department and others in the town that came together to save Davidson’s life.

“To see the end of this story in person, rather than reading about it in a report, is very powerful,” Spinney said. “Thank you to ZOLL Medical, and congratulations to our officers and to our partners in the Chelmsford Fire Department and PrideStar EMS for receiving this recognition. And I would like to especially thank dispatchers (Lisa) Demers and (John) Poor, who were instrumental in bringing this call to a successful outcome.”

PrideStar paramedics Angel Martinez and Cody Anderson and EMTs Nicole St. Peter and Justin Violette were also honored at the ceremony.