Pembroke Pines, FL– Florida’s Pembroke Pines Brian Maher, a Pembroke Pines school resource officer, is being hailed as a hero for his bravery and fast thinking during a potentially fatal situation at West Broward High School.
Just one day shy of turning 68, Maher, a respected 47-year police veteran, was at the center of a serious medical issue on Tuesday. He raced to the site of a 12th-grade kid who had passed out on campus in response to a code blue medical alert.
Maher said that even though he had previously been in life-or-death situations, the urgency of this specific episode consumed much of his thoughts. He said that the student’s recovery would be the best birthday present and that his only concern was making sure she lived.
When Maher arrived on the second floor of the Pembroke Pines school, he teamed up with another adult who was performing CPR. Regretfully, their united efforts came up empty. Under pressure, Maher was ordered to get the automated external defibrillator (AED), a life-saving tool in cardiac arrest situations.
Maher quickly went to get the AED and brought it back to the scene primed and ready to go. Together with an additional rescuer who also placed the pads, they obeyed the machine’s instructions to administer a potentially fatal shock. Maher described the anxious moment by saying, “So I pushed the button, shocked her once, she bounces up a little, and she’s in recovery.”
The AED indicated that more shocks were not required while it kept an eye on the student’s heart activity. Based on his vast experience in such circumstances, Maher identified the encouraging indicators of an effective solution. “I’ve been involved in other saves over the years,” he said. “It’s incredible every time to be able to accomplish that. You did save someone’s life.”
Maher emphasized the need to be ready and advised people to become trained in CPR and AED use. The student was taken to the hospital by paramedics in a hurry, and Maher was informed later that afternoon that she was awake and moving about.
Maher thought, “There’s no better feeling than that.”
Officer Brian Maher’s outstanding devotion in the face of difficulty was praised by the Pembroke Pines Police Department on their Facebook page, where they expressed their delight. Maher’s attempts to save lives were emphasized by the department, demonstrating the tenacity and devotion that characterize a real hero.