Photo/Paterson Fire Department
Via the Paterson (NJ) Fire Department
At approximately 8:50 a.m., a frantic mother rushed into Paterson Fire Headquarters at 300 McBride Ave with their four-month-old baby girl, who was choking and turning blue. The mother, desperate for help, banged on the window of the Fire Prevention Bureau, where Fire Marshal Pedro Cartagena immediately sprang into action.
Fire Marshal Cartagena, a certified EMT and CPR instructor, quickly took the baby and began performing life-saving back blows. After several attempts, the obstruction in the baby’s airway was successfully cleared, and her color began returning to normal.
Simultaneously, Paterson Fire Department EMS 7, staffed by Firefighters Kenneth Hicks and Mike Oates, stationed in the same firehouse, arrived to further assess the baby. They confirmed her airway was clear and monitored her breathing. Grateful and relieved, the parents planned to follow up with the baby’s pediatrician.
This harrowing incident could have ended in tragedy if not for the swift, skilled and selfless actions of Fire Marshal Cartagena and Firefighters Hicks and Oates. Their professionalism and dedication embody the highest standards of the Paterson Fire Department.
