SOUTH BRUNSWICK — Four South Brunswick police officers, a South Brunswick Department of Public Works (DPW) employee and members of the South Brunswick and Monroe EMS/paramedics took quick actions to save the life of a 60-year-old man on Aug. 16.
At around 11:52 a.m., William Rodriguez of Bayonne, a technician for Triangle Communications, suffered cardiac arrest as he was installing a video camera inside a South Brunswick patrol vehicle at the South Brunswick DPW building, according to information provided by the South Brunswick Police Department.
Brian Keith, a South Brunswick DPW employee and former Monmouth Junction First Aid Squad member, spotted Rodriguez lying unconscious in the patrol vehicle and ran over to him, officials said. Keith laid Rodriguez on the ground and began administering CPR. Witnesses at the scene began calling 911.
Officer Joseph Rausch was inside police headquarters when the call came over the police radio, and he reportedly grabbed a nearby portable defibrillator, police said. Rausch then sprinted to his police vehicle and drove to the DPW building, arriving within two minutes of the initial call for service, according to reports.
Rausch applied the defibrillator pads to Rodriguez’s chest as he and Keith continued CPR. Rodriguez’s condition reportedly did not change after the first shock of the defibrillator, according to reports.
Officers Marty Halmi, Ryan Bartunek and Dale Hubner and members of the Monmouth Junction and Monroe First Aid Squads then administered CPR for several more minutes. The defibrillator advised the officers to shock Rodriguez two additional times. Within a minute the officers observed that Rodriguez had a pulse and he regained consciousness, according to reports.
Rodriguez was then transported to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick where he is recovering, officials said.
Police Chief Raymond Hayducka credited the quick response of the officers and Keith and their knowledge of administering CPR in saving Rodriguez’s life.
“Mr. Keith and these officers did an amazing job of working as a team and utilizing their training and equipment to save Mr. Rodriguez. This shows the importance of knowing how to administer CPR and the life-changing difference you can make,” Hayducka said.
