Trevor Huffman, president and CEO of Jacksonville Memorial Hospital, presented Memorial Health Security officer Brenten Buchanan with a Lifesaver Award for his quick response when a baby was locked inside a vehicle accidentally during nearly 100-degree heat.
“Brenten showed remarkable calm in a scary situation, and we are thankful for his quick response that most likely saved a child’s life,” Huffman said.
On Aug. 31, Buchanan arrived within minutes of being dispatched and used a special tool to unlock the vehicle, which was located in a hospital parking lot. He checked the baby’s breathing before helping the mother and child get inside the hospital, where the baby was taken to the Emergency Department for evaluation. Mother and baby later returned home.
Buchanan has worked at JMH for ten years, the first two with Environmental Services and the last eight with Security. He was grateful for training on how to handle stressful situations without freezing up.
“It was nerve-wracking,” he said. “But I didn’t let it stop me from my main objective coming out of the office, which was to get that baby out of the car, breathing and OK.”