A Columbus police officer has been called a hero for saving the life of a woman who was unresponsive last month inside her Columbus home.
Officer Clayton Nolting, 33, who has been with the Columbus Police Department for nearly seven years, was filling out paperwork on his shift Nov. 20 when he was notified of a medical emergency at a residence on Pennsylvania Street, where a 74-year old woman was reported to be unresponsive.
Nolting, who also serves as the Bartholomew County coroner during off hours from the police department, said he arrived on scene, found the woman lying in a hospital bed and then moved her to the floor, where he performed CPR and used an automated external defibrillator, which gives life-saving care to a patient until additional medical resources can arrive. Her name has not been released.
Nolting happened to be nearby when the call came in.
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“I was able to get there within a matter of seconds,” Nolting said.
Nolting said the woman’s husband had contacted Bartholomew County’s 911 Emergency Operations Center, indicating that his wife wasn’t breathing. Right after arriving, Nolting checked the woman’s pulse and then began CPR and compressions.
A second police officer showed up at the home moments later, followed by first-responders from Columbus Regional Health Emergency Medical Services and the Columbus Fire Department, Nolting said.
A pulse on the woman was reestablished, and the woman was transported to Columbus Regional Health, where she received additional medical treatment.
Nolting was recognized for his efforts during last week’s Columbus Board of Works meeting by Police Chief Jon Rohde, who commended him for his actions and said the woman has a positive health prognosis for the future.
The Columbus Police Department has carried portable defibrillators — devices that deliver an electric shock to a person’s heart — in patrol cars since 2013.
The shock can potentially stop an irregular heart beat (arrhythmia) and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest, according to the American Heart Association.
Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart malfunctions and stops beating unexpectedly, the heart association reports. If not treated within minutes, it quickly leads to an individual’s death, according to the association.
Officers receiving defibrillator training each January, said Lt. Matt Harris, department spokesman.
Nolting said his actions were just part of the job, as he’s performed life-saving CPR before.
The officer said he once performed CPR on an unconscious female who had suffered a drug overdose. That was before officers starting carrying naloxone, which is used to reverse the effects of an overdose.
Nolting said he also assisted a man who had suffered a heart attack at a local gym when he was off-duty, when he performed CPR and used a defibrillator.
“The efforts made by officer Nolting were undoubtedly crucial in sustaining this woman’s life and he deserves recognition for such actions,” Rohde said.
The police chief described Nolting as one of the department’s finest officers and said he was thankful that Nolting was able to apply his training to save the woman’s life.
“Everyday as an officer, they don’t know what they might come across,” Rohde said. “We’re here to serve the community.”
Rohde said police officers — who are trained to make split-second decisions — need to be prepared at all times to deal with whatever situation they might encounter.
“His instincts took over based on the training he was provided,” Rohde said. “Fortunately, it had a positive outcome.”
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”Clayton Nolting” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
Age: 33
Family: Married to wife Brelyn; 1-year-old son Beckett
Education: Associate degree in forensic science and sociology, master of science degree in forensic entomology
Work history: Has been employed as a police officer with the Columbus Police Department for nearly seven years; deputy coroner with the Bartholomew County Coroner’s Office under his predecessor, Larry Fisher. Nolting was elected to the post in 2016 after defeating challenger Paula Rothrock.
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Dec. 18, 2018
Officer Clayton Nolting,
This is a letter of commendation for your actions on Nov. 20, 2018. On that day you responded to a “code” on Pennsylvania Street. Upon your arrival, you located an unresponsive woman, and appropriately began providing life-saving care to her, which included CPR and utilizing your department-issued AED.
After other first responders arrived, namely CRH EMS and CFD, you worked with them to continue to provide life-saving measures, which resulted in the woman establishing a pulse. The woman ultimately survived and has a positive prognosis for the future.
The live-saving measures administered by you were crucial in sustaining this woman’s life. Your actions were indicative of our department’s Mission – To Protect and Serve — and I commend you for your life-saving actions. It is an honor and privilege to work alongside you.
Respectfully,
Jonathan L. Rohde,
Columbus Chief of Police
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Why are AEDs important?
AEDs make it possible for more people to respond to a medical emergency where defibrillation is required. Because AEDs are portable, they can be used by non-medical people. They can be made part of emergency-response programs that also include rapid use of 9-1-1 and prompt delivery of cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR). All three of these activities are vital to improving survival.
How does an AED work?
A built-in computer checks a victim’s heart rhythm through adhesive electrodes. The computer calculates whether defibrillation is needed. If it is, a recorded voice prompts the rescuer to press the shock button on the AED.
This shock momentarily stuns the heart and stops all activity. It gives the heart the chance to resume beating effectively. Audible prompts guide the user through the process. AEDs advise a shock only for ventricular fibrillation or another life-threatening condition called pulseless ventricular tachycardia.
Who can use an AED?
Non-medical personnel such as police, fire service personnel, flight attendants, security guards and other lay rescuers who have been trained in CPR can use AEDs. Although formal training in the use of an AED is not required, it is recommended to help the rescuer increase their comfort and level of confidence. However, AEDs are intended for use by the general public. Most AEDs use audible voice prompts to guide the user through the process.
Are AEDs safe to use?
AEDs are safe to use by anyone. Some studies have shown that 90 percent of the time AEDs are able to detect a rhythm that should be defilrillated. This data suggests that AEDs are highly effective in detecting when or when not to deliver a shock.
Source: American Heart Association
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