Putnam Resource Officer Credited with Saving a Life in Brewster
A school resource officer at Brewster High School is credited for assisting in saving the life of a student, according to Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith.
At about 8:15 a.m. on Feb.16, Deputy A.J. Pizzuto, Jr., was summoned to the school nurse’s office to assist nurses in rendering aid to a student in respiratory crisis, a press release issued by the sheriff’s department said. Pizzuto, a New York State certified first responder trained in rendering emergency first aid, ran to his patrol car, grabbed his oxygen unit and returned to administer oxygen to the young man until arrival of the Brewster Fire Department ambulance. The student was transported to Putnam Hospital Center for further care.
Describing the incident as “a life threatening situation,” the school nurses praised Pizzuto’s actions. “Once the oxygen was administered, the student’s condition improved. We must say, his response time truly made a difference,” nurses Shirley Ciotola and Ellen Quinn said.
Smith cited the value of the school resource officer program offered by the sheriff’s office.
“The school resource officer program is invaluable to the school community it serves,” said Smith. “Our school resource officers are highly trained police officers that are prepared for any emergency. I am extremely proud of Deputy Pizzuto’s immediate action in assisting the medical staff of Brewster High School. The actions of Deputy Pizzuto and school nurses, Shirley Ciotola and Ellen Quinn, may have averted a tragedy whereby a young man’s life was spared,” said Smith.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.