FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
May 7, 2019
MARTA POLICE
OFFICERS TO BE HONORED BY AMERICAN RED CROSS
Officers Will
Receive Lifesaving Awards on May 8th,
World Red
Cross and Red Crescent Day
ATLANTA – Two officers from the
Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Police Department will be
recognized by the American Red Cross on Wednesday, May 8th for their
heroic and lifesaving actions. The officers will each receive a Certificate
of Extraordinary Personal Action during a brief ceremony beginning at 11:00
a.m. at Red Cross of Georgia Headquarters located at 1955 Monroe Drive NE,
Atlanta, GA 30324. The ceremony coincides with World Red Cross and Red Crescent
Day, which recognizes the organization’s network of volunteers and
staff who work to alleviate human suffering and help save lives in nearly every
country, according to shared humanitarian principles.
MARTA Police Officer Keith Softley and
Corporal Michael Woodward saved the lives of two patrons at MARTA’s Kensington
Station on Tuesday, April 17, 2018. At 8:48 a.m., Officer Softley and
Corporal Woodward were alerted to a man who was in cardiac arrest. The officers
acted quickly, using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and
cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) until he regained consciousness. The man
was alert and speaking with officers when transported to the hospital but
suffered another medical event at the hospital and died.
Just over an hour later, the same
officers were called to a medical emergency in the bus loop at Kensington.
Officer Softley and Corporal Woodward once again used the AED and CPR to regain
the heartbeat of a man who had gone into cardiac arrest. The man survived.
“To be recognized by the American Red
Cross is an incredible honor,” said MARTA Police Chief Wanda Y. Dunham.
“Officer Softley and Corporal Woodward acted heroically and were able to save a
life thanks to their rapid response, quick thinking, training and commitment to
duty. They are both humbled by this recognition.”
“The
Certificate of Extraordinary Personal Action is given to individuals
like Officers Softley and Woodward, who step up in an emergency situation and
help save or sustain a life,” said Terri Badour, Executive Director of Metro
Atlanta’s Red Cross. “We commend them for their willingness to help others in
distress and are particularly proud to recognize them on a day that’s so
meaningful to Red Cross humanitarians worldwide.”
MARTA placed AEDs in all 38 rail
stations, MARTA facilities and police vehicles in 2009. The MARTA Police
Department credits the use of AEDs with successfully saving four lives in the
last three years. For more information about the American Red Cross Lifesaving
Awards Program, visit LifesavingAwards.org
About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional
support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's
blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid;
and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a
not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of
the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit
redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
###