The coworker who suddenly becomes the First Helper

A Stamford library employee was honored after using CPR and an AED to save a coworker who suffered sudden cardiac arrest. According to the Stamford Advocate, Seve Orozco found Hannah Van Tilburg unresponsive, performed CPR, directed a bystander to call 911 and retrieved a defibrillator he had previously advocated for at the library.

The story is a powerful example of why CPR training and AED access matter. It also shows something else: the First Helper is often simply the person who happens to be there.

A coworker, customer, teammate or stranger can move from ordinary activity to emergency responsibility in seconds. Their first job may be lifesaving action — call 911, begin CPR, use an AED, control bleeding or keep the person safe.

At the same time, an unconscious person cannot answer other questions that may arise during the response: Who should be called? Is there an emergency note they wanted shared? Is there information that could help explain their situation?

Scan If Hurt™ is designed for that information layer. A person chooses what is placed in their emergency profile, and a scan of their Safety ID can make those selected details available to someone helping them.

It does not replace CPR, AEDs, 911 or EMS. It complements a different part of preparedness: giving the person a voice when they cannot provide one themselves.

The Stamford story shows what a prepared coworker can do. Workplaces should celebrate that — and keep asking what other layers of preparedness can make the handoff from First Helper to professional response even stronger.

Source: Stamford Advocate / CT Insider, September 1, 2026.