“This award is made to honor our heroic first responders,” said Donna Saraga, president of the Xenia Chamber of Commerce. “It is named in honor of the late Sheriff Gene Fischer, and our goal is to annually honor local heroes who respond to medical emergencies.”
Earning the aware were:
- Luke Neikirk, a lieutenant with Cedarville Twp.’s volunteer fire department
- Don Parvin, captain with Cedarville University’s campus security
- Jayson Neri, campus security officer with Cedarville University and with Cedarville’s police
- Jason Robison, a Cedarville Police Department officer
- Dr. John Vitaliti, an anesthesiologist
Vitaliti was playing tennis with Abe Awabdy on July 8 wheb Awabdy went into cardiac arrest. Within a few moments, the five honorees took action.
“I had just got home from work when I saw a cardiac arrest notification on my pager,” Neikirk said. “I went to the scene, and campus security and Cedarville PD were already doing compressions. After using an AED to administer a shock, we retrieved a pulse and gave him care as he was transported to the Miami Valley Hospital.”
Awabdy returned home three days later after receiving medical care.
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