Wilmington’s Michael Carroll Receives Massachusetts State Police Lifesaving Award

BOSTON, MA — Wilmington resident Michael Carroll, who serves as a patrol operator with the MassDOT Highway Assistance Patrol, received Massachusetts State Police Lifesaving Award at a Statehouse ceremony on May 22, according to the Wilmington Apple.

Nearly two dozen people, including State Troopers, firefighters, and private citizens, were honored for lifesaving actions performed during 10 separate incidents or emergencies during the summer, fall and early winter.

The incident involving Carroll was on Nov. 22, 2016, the State Police-Andover Barracks received a call reporting that a passenger was unresponsive in a vehicle pulled over on Route 93 in Woburn.

Trooper Jennifer Penton was dispatched, as was the Route 93 Help Van, driven by Mr. Michael Carroll. The Help Van was equipped with an automated external defibrillator (AED).

Carroll reached the scene first and observed a woman performing CPR on the unresponsive man.

Carroll took control of the situation. He checked for the man’s pulse. After not locating one, he retrieved the AED from his van.

While calming bystanders who were under duress because of the situation, Carroll placed the AED’s pads on the man in order to analyze him with the device. The AED indicated not to shock the patient and instructed that CPR should be continued.

Carroll and the woman who has initially been performing CPR then began administering two-person CPR to the victim.

At that point, Carroll communicated by emergency radio that he believed the man suffered from an overdose and requested that a trooper with the overdose-reversal drug Narcan respond to the scene.

Penton arrived shortly thereafter, administered a Narcan dose and revived the man.

For her quick response to the render the aid necessary to revive the unresponsive victim, Penton was awarded the Division Commander’s Award.

Due to Michael Carroll's quick response and decisive action — analyzing the unresponsive man, performing CPR, determining the cause of the emergency and summoning the appropriate response to save the victim’s life — he was commended in Personnel Orders and awarded the Massachusetts State Police Lifesaving Award.

For more on this story read the Wilmington Apple.

Photo courtesy of Massachusetts State Police.