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Life Saving Incident

March 19, 2021
Kentucky
Lawrence County
Louisa

LOUISA, Ky. (WYMT) - An officer in Lawrence County was recently honored for going “above and beyond” to serve and protect during one of his shifts last month. Last week, Louisa Mayor Harold Slone and Police Chief Greg Fugitt presented Sgt. Steven Wilburn with the Louisa Police Commendation Medal. “Someone whose love for the job is so heartfelt that he wants to just help people,” Fugitt told WYMT. In a post on the department’s Facebook page, officials say Sgt. Wilburn responded to an EMS call on March 19 when an infant was born at a Louisa motel. “The ambulance that was responding was having mechanical issues, so I ended up going there and going into the room and found the mother with the baby in the bathroom- wasn’t breathing,” he said. “I was in shock at first. And then, just, I guess things just kind of kicked in- training I’ve had before.” He said the call to serve was louder than the desire to wait for EMTs, so he used his own line of duty emergency medical training, as well as more lessons he learned when his child spent time in the ICU, to help keep CPR flowing while waiting for an ambulance to arrive. “I’ve got five children of my own. I guess that kind of instinct kicked in to try to do what I could,” he said. He said the child began to breathe and he was able to wrap it in a blanket, handing it off the EMTs, who took the baby and mother to the hospital. But that was only one of the lives saved that day. A suspected drug overdose near the locks along the river warranted a second call. “I responded to that and found a male that was suffering of a heroin overdose, laying beside a vehicle,” said Wilburn. “And administered aid to him until we got him back.” During the presentation of the medal, officials thanked Wilburn for his dedication to duty and to the community he serves. Chief Fugitt said the service and dedication shown by Wilburn is unquantifiable. “It’s invaluable,” said Fugitt. “We’re appreciative that he was there and able to assist in both situations.” But, according to Wilburn, while he is honored to be recognized and continues to see new situations every day in his job, he does not see a need for the award. He said it was all in a day’s work. “Didn’t feel like it was anything deserved,” he said. “Just kind of felt like it was another day, another call.”

The history of law enforcement in the United States is a long and wonderful history of bravery. This website is dedicated to documenting the heroic deeds of law enforcement officers throughout the United States who have either given or risked their lives to save others. There are many stories of bravery and heroism for many who are considered first responders. However, it is those in law enforcement who are most likely to be the first to arrive upon a location requiring life saving acts engaging dangerous hostage takers, running into burning buildings/vehicles, providing first aid to seriously injured victims, saving near drowning victims and much more are what the women and men of law enforcement do routinely and at many times, great peril to their own safety.
It is our mission to document the history of lives saved by those dedicated women and men in law enforcement. To share with others the dramatic deeds of those individuals who are the first, first responders. It is so important for our citizens to understand that law "enforcement" is not always about enforcing the law but rather being there when our citizens need us.
It is to this end we are dedicated to promoting documentation regarding the history of law enforcement and the lives they have saved.