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Laramie honors four residents and local first responders for lifesaving actions
Summary
Laramie City Council presented citations to four community members and several police and fire personnel for life‑saving CPR and rescue efforts during a September 2025 cardiac‑arrest incident along the Greenbelt; officials said coordinated bystander actions and dispatch guidance kept the patient alive until air evacuation to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center.
The Laramie City Council recognized four residents and multiple emergency personnel Tuesday for their roles in saving a life during a medical emergency along the Greenbelt on Sept. 16, 2025.
Chief Brown told the council the recipients—Heather Johnson, Rebecca Evans, Brad Andress and Caroline Smith—“initiated CPR, provided critical care during the most vital moments and effectively communicated dispatch instructions,” actions he said that contributed to the patient’s full recovery. He also commended Laramie Police Department and Albany County Sheriff’s Department staff including dispatch supervisor Sarah Felton, Sergeant Jacob Onstead and Officers John Rocha and Bruce Ward, and community service officer Robert Austin for their roles in accessing and moving the patient to awaiting emergency transport.
According to Chief Brown, responders faced an access challenge on the riverwalk near Interstate 80 that prevented ambulance vehicles from reaching the scene; officers and fire personnel walked into the remote location and improvised to move the patient to safety. Dispatch supervisor Felton took the 911 call, provided CPR guidance over the phone and remained composed under pressure, Chief Brown said. The patient regained a pulse at the scene and was airlifted to Cheyenne Regional Medical Center, where hospital staff reported the patient was alive and improving the following day.
The council presented formal citations and invited recipients and officers to pose for a photo. Mayor and council members thanked the recipients and emergency personnel for demonstrating “civic responsibility, compassion and heroism.”
The recognition underscores the role of both trained dispatch procedures and community members in out‑of‑hospital cardiac events, council members said. No formal policy actions were taken during the presentation; the council moved on to subsequent work‑session items.
