November 25, 2024 — When emergencies strike at the worksite or in the community, PEF members are often the first ones to jump in and help – some doing it literally as part of their job, others just aiding those in need.
Recently, nurses and staff at Hudson Correctional Facility worked together to administer Narcan and save the life of an incarcerated individual who was overdosing.
“These nurses are not alone,” said President Wayne Spence. “Across the state, our members step up and save lives and that deserves recognition. It isn’t just clients or patients; PEF members also look out for their coworkers and for the public.”
Over the summer, staff at Sunmount Developmental Disabilities Services Office (DDSO) came to the aid of a coworker who was suffering a health emergency.
Nurses at Buffalo Psychiatric Center were first on scene to render life-saving medical aid when some of their own were stabbed by a patient.
It isn’t just medical emergencies; PEF members save lives in other ways.
A few years ago, a PEF parole officer talked down a parolee during a tense hostage standoff in western New York. PEF foresters helped knock down and contain the Napanoch Point fire in Minnewaska State Park. And last year, a PEF fire protection specialist helped pull a driver from a pond.
“As a New Yorker, I extend my thanks to all who save lives for a living, and all who are in the right place at the right time,” President Spence said.