6 Security guards whose actions saved lives
Security Companies in Maryland, Washington DC and Virginia offer a vital service in a multitude of areas: buildings, firewatch, events, hotels, malls, construction sites, and more. The fact is that security companies are nothing without the security guards who are on duty. Security guards duties are primarily centered around crime prevention. However, they train to be ready to respond if they encounter a dangerous situation. We would like to take a moment to recognize several guards from across the country who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to protect those around them during an unexpected disaster or crisis. The locations being protected in these stories got more than they bargained for when one of their security guards saved a life on duty.
Security Guard Saves a 2-Year-Old’s Life
A mall security guard for a security company in Virginia, was paged to a store where a two-year-old girl was having difficulty breathing. Shortly after he arrived at the scene, the child stopped breathing altogether. J.J. Williams, the security guard, remembered his firefighter training and began performing CPR on the young girl, followed by two breaths and a finger sweep. A cry escaped the young child, signaling that he had brought her back to life. According to Williams, “I was just doing my job.”
Campus Security Guard Saves a Student
Thomas Elio , campus security guard, found a choking high school student in the hallway and performed the Heimlich maneuver effectively, just in time to save the student’s life. The time saved by performing the Heimlich immediately rather than waiting for ambulance paramedics to arrive was the difference between life and death for this student. His family refers to the campus security guard as their guardian angel.
Security Guard Stands Between Shooter and Victim
In February of 2015, a security guard lost his life after stepping in front of a fellow security guard to protect him from gunfire. Manuel Alvarez Zuniga , known as “Manny” the guard whose life he saved, saw the first bullet shot by suspects fleeing the scene zoom past the head of his fellow guard. Without hesitation, he stepped in front of his coworker and took the second bullet for him, sacrificing his own life to save another.
Church Security Guard Stops Gunman
When a gunman entered a church in late 2007, armed church security guard Jeanne Assam fired at the gunman, stopping him in his tracks. Police later found that the gunman had over 1,000 rounds of ammunition on his person and had killed two churchgoers in the parking lot before entering the sanctuary. Without Assam’s intervention, thousands more may have died that Sunday morning. According to Assam, God used her to protect the congregation.
Washington D.C. Security Guard Wrestles Intruder After Suffering Gunshot
When an armed intruder shot a Washington DC security guard in 2012, the wounded guard managed to tackle the intruder to the ground and restrain him. His courage and strength paid off; the intruder never made it past the entrance of the building. The anonymous security guard’s perseverance and determination after being shot likely saved the lives of dozens of building occupants that day.
Suicide Victim Saved by Security Guard
When James Sodergren, the security guard at a social services complex, saw blood pooling on the floor of a bathroom stall, he knew he needed to act quickly. He forced open the stall door to find a man bleeding to death as the result of an apparent suicide attempt. Sodergren decided immediately that he “would not let this man die this way” and summoned help. The man survived as a result of Sodergren’s actions.
Security guards spend 100% of their time while on duty being watchful for the rare occasion that they are required to respond to a threat to the people or property they are charged to protect. These security guards made great sacrifices in the face of difficult circumstances to save the lives of those under their watch. We salute them and all of the guards who get the job done. What type of positive experiences have you had with security guards?
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