RELEASE BY: Sergeant Sean Ahlers, Rockaway Beach Police Dept.
Rockaway Beach Police Chief Charles Stewart is pleased to announce that Officer Christopher Rondeau has been awarded his second Chief’s Lifesaving Citation. This is an award presented to a Rockaway Beach Police Officer who provides substantial initial care directly leading to the prolonging of a human life.
On April 6, 2021, a 911 call was made to the Tillamook County Emergency Communications Center (dispatch). They were told an adult male was at a local business in Rockaway Beach who was unconscious and not breathing. Dispatchers were able to hear people in the background talking about
performing CPR. The initial dispatch of the fire department, ambulance and police was made at 4:59 PM. Officer Rondeau arrived on scene at 5:03 PM, Rockaway Beach Fire Department personnel arrived at 5:04 PM and the ambulance, which is generally stationed in Garibaldi, arrived at 5:06 PM.
Thanks to a 2017 grant from the Siletz Tribal Charitable Contribution Fund, Officer Rondeau had an AED in his patrol vehicle. It is known that early CPR and early defibrillation greatly increase the chance that someone will survive a heart attack and suffer less long-term damage from lack of oxygen.
We would like to congratulate Officer Rondeau on this award. We are blessed to have citizens, dispatchers, police, fire, and EMS personnel who stand ready to respond to any emergency that occurs.
Thank you!
EDITOR’S NOTE: The local resident involved in this incident is recovering at OHSU, and is expected to return to Rockaway Beach soon. The individual has posted many heartfelt thank yous on social media to Officer Rondeau, and the others that helped to save his life.
