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City gives lifesaving awards

Marquette City Police Chief Blake Rieboldt, at podium, honors eight emergency responders and two individuals with lifesaving awards at the Marquette City Hall Commission Chambers Monday evening. (Journal photo by Jaymie Depew)

MARQUETTE — Several police officers, central dispatch operators and individuals were honored at the Marquette City Commission meeting Monday evening for their combined efforts pertaining to saving the life of a man earlier this month.

Marquette Police Chief Blake Rieboldt asked everyone involved with the March 2 incident to join him at the podium during the meeting as he read a letter from Sgt. Jackie Sweeney, who nominated the 10 individuals for a lifesaving award.

Among the people nominated were Gene and Michele Gransinger; Marquette County Central Dispatch operators John Devold, Andrew VanOosterhout and Cheryl Grove; Northern Michigan University Public Safety officers Jason Swanson, Jeff Stampee and Zane Weaver; and officers Ben Takala and James Britton from the Marquette Police Department.

“I’m honored to be here tonight along with Marquette city police Sgt. Jackie Sweeney, who nominated the individuals standing behind me for a lifesaving award,” said Rieboldt before he started reading the recommendation prepared by Sweeney.

“On Friday, March 2,” Rieboldt read, “at approximately 9:50 p.m., central dispatch received a 911 call on a subject in cardiac arrest on the side of the road. The female caller, Michele Gransinger, was having difficulties giving the location and the information about the patient. Operator John Devold from Marquette County Central Dispatch was able to get them to pull over to the side of the road and put their hazard lights on, then assisted them in the CPR process. (Operator) Sheryl Grove was able to put the incident out over central dispatch.”

The location was given as being along Wright Street in Marquette Township near Commerce Drive, Rieboldt read. Despite the call being dispatched to Marquette Township, public safety and MPD officers responded to the scene at the same time and located the vehicle along the side of the road off of Wright Street near Ontario Avenue.

At the time, CPR was being performed by Gene Gransinger and a person who was passing by that stopped to help, the letter read. Officers Swanson and Takala immediately took over CPR while officer Stampee retrieved the defibrillator.

After Swanson applied the shock to the unconscious man, Takala then began compressions again until the man started breathing. According to Sweeney’s letter, EMS arrived shortly after and by the time the individual was loaded into the ambulance and on his way to the hospital, he was talking and conscious.

“I personally feel that if it wasn’t for the actions of Michele and Gene Gransinger, and these officers (and) dispatchers involved, Mr. (Steven) Ritola may not still be alive today,” Rieboldt read.

The lifesaving award recipients were handed a certificate by Mayor Dave Campana and a lifesaving pin from Rieboldt after he finished reading Sweeney’s letter.

Rieboldt said the “good samaritan” who stopped to help Ritola left the scene and was unable to be identified. The individual should contact the Marquette Police Department to be properly recognized, Rieboldt added.

Everyone in the packed room at the meeting applauded the responders as the commission thanked the individuals.

Mayor Pro Tem Frederick Stonehouse pointed out a group of Boy Scouts in the audience and said it was fortunate they witnessed “real American heroes” being honored.

“It was particularly remarkable because they represented different police forces and different agencies that came together to get one job done, and they did it seamlessly,” Stonehouse said.

Campana echoed Stonehouse’s comments by saying the award recipients “truly deserve it.”

“They do this every day and they just don’t get the recognition that they should get, so we should thank them,” he said. “If they’re not there, this community doesn’t work.”

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