'A child was hurt, so I answered the call': Akron firefighter honored for saving child

Akron Fire Department Capt. Brad Ager was driving on the afternoon of July 5 to a call when the emergency radio blared to life for a single-vehicle accident.

"It was for a crash and a child hurt," Ager recalled during an interview Thursday. "It was about half a mile away and a child was hurt, so I answered the call."

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When he arrived at the scene, he saw a car that had crashed into a tree with the motionless body of a 5-year-old girl next to it in the grass, he said.

Because she was not breathing, Ager provided mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to save the child's life, according to an Akron fire press release.

For his efforts, Ager was awarded the EMS Distinguished Service award on Thursday for "conduct above and beyond the call of duty."

'She's not breathing'

The accident occurred at 4:30 p.m. when the driver of a 2015 Chrysler 300 traveling west on South Firestone Boulevard made a left on Girard Street, according to an Akron Police Department accident report.

The report states the car was traveling at a high rate of speed and failed to complete the turn, striking the curb and jumping onto the grass and crashing into a tree.

Three occupants were in the vehicle, according to the report.

When Ager arrived, he said the adult occupants placed the child next to the car.

"I remember the mom, I think she was the mom saying 'She's not breathing, she's not breathing, she's not breathing,'" Ager recalled.

Looking at the girl in the grass, he first noticed that she was purple.

"She had a pulse," Ager said. "So, I provided mouth-to-mouth for about two minutes and slowly she started to breathe again."

For most emergency responders, mouth-to-mouth resuscitation is rare. They normally use equipment to aid in these circumstances, but when Ager arrived at the crash on July 5, he had no equipment.

That's when Engine 13's crew arrived, he said, and provided respirations with a bag valve mask. Then Medic 4 arrived and took the patient away.

"By the time she was with Medic 4, she was crying. Once she was at the hospital, she was talking, complaining and crying," Ager said. "Normally crying is not a good thing, but this meant she was doing better."

This was not the first time Ager provided this life-saving action.

"It was like four or five years ago. I had to do mouth-to-mouth on a three-month-old, so it is very rare," he said. "It's not something you expect to do, but this is why we're trained."

Although Ager is proud to be recognized for his actions, he said the spotlight should be on everyone who responded to the crash.

"That's what I like about this job, it's all about teamwork," he said. "I only played a small part in it."

The driver of the vehicle, a 22-year-old Akron woman, was found guilty of reckless operation, failure to control, failure to restrain a child and speeding, according to court documents.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Akron fire Capt. Brad Ager honored for saving child's life in July