Quick-thinking employee saves choking woman

We Energies Troubleshooter Brian Tabbert.

We Energies Troubleshooter Brian Tabbert was honored by the Greenfield Fire Department for his heroic actions in saving a woman’s life.

Tabbert was at a routine call near 27th Street and Cold Spring Road in Greenfield Saturday morning when he noticed a motorist frantically waving bystanders down. He knew something was not right, and he rushed to their aid. A woman was choking on food that had lodged in her throat and eventually became unconscious. Tabbert immediately began life-saving measures on the woman.

“There wasn’t really any time to worry about anything,” he said. He began giving the woman the Heimlich maneuver but was unable to dislodge the food. He checked the woman for a pulse, and he was not able to find one. Two nurses also stopped and assisted him with CPR. As the Greenfield Fire Department arrived, the woman was up and talking.

“We wanted to highlight something great in our community and an outcome that was nearly perfect,” said Greenfield Fire Chief Jon Cohn at a recognition ceremony for Tabbert and the nurses. “Your willingness to stop, get involved and provide aid when family members were waving for help is appreciated and lifesaving. Your actions will inspire others to get involved and help others.”

We Energies trains many employees in basic first aid, which includes CPR.

“I’m very proud of the work that Brian and his peers do on a daily basis to keep our customers safe and in service, but I’m even more proud of him for this lifesaving act of kindness to save a life,” said Dave Megna, vice president – system operations at We Energies.

“It’s just the right thing to do, and I would expect anybody to do it for me or somebody I know,” said Tabbert.