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Paramedic Saves Officer's Life After She Suffers Heart Attack

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Paramedic Rich Jones arrived early for his shift at the West End station last Wednesday. The first thing he heard was the scanner.

"I sat down," he recalls, "and was just getting started writing some reports. And I heard something about Zone 6 Police Station."

From Medic Three to the Zone 6 station is a matter of 20 feet, if that. And that's a very good thing. As a matter of fact, on Wednesday, it helped save a life.

"I collected my equipment, walked over," Jones says. "When I walked in I found the officer lying on the floor, she didn't appear to be breathing. Instructed everyone what role they would be playing applied the monitor and found her in cardiac arrest."

When partner Amy Pullen arrived for the 3 p.m. shift, she says, "I go out to the garage, and no partner. The compartment for of the ambulance is open. The garage door is open. So I start looking around, and I hear fire engines barreling down the street."

"We applied one shock," Jones says. "Started CPR. Within a minute, the officer was breathing again. She had a pulse."

"By the time I got in he had already had her resuscitated," says his partner. "So, one-man show."

The officer is now at home, recovering, thanks to a paramedic at the station next door.

"He did everything the way he should, and instructed people the way he should, and took charge, and he's a hero for that," Amy Pullen says.

Her partner disagrees. "I don't think we like to call ourselves that. It's our job, and we enjoy doing it."

Especially when there's a happy ending.

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