TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC) – Some first responders are never truly off-duty.

That was the case for some firefighters and others who are being recognized for saving someone’s life while on their lunch break. They were recognized by the Alabama Fire College for jumping into action after witnessing a woman have a medical emergency while driving a car Monday afternoon.

Wednesday, the executive director of the Alabama Fire College, Matt Russell, thanked five people going through training or are training officers there.

Some of them were leaving a restaurant after lunch Monday and saw a car jump the curb and plow into an open field.

The driver was in cardiac arrest.

“We pulled her out and she was unresponsive, not breathing. She had no heartbeat so we started CPR,” said Andrew Gamble with Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue.

While Gamble, along with three others in Fire College training, performed CPR on the driver, Adam Whatley and another training officer saw what was happening and pulled up to help.

They used a defibrillator and other lifesaving equipment on the victim after a deputy paramedic from the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.

“Everybody was at the right place at the right time. And we were just happy to help and hopefully here’s a good outcome to this,” said Whatley, a recruit instructor with the Alabama Fire College and Tuscaloosa firefighter.

Those from the Alabama Fire College needed the deputy paramedic’s equipment because they were in their personal cars at the time.

At last check, the driver who experienced the medical emergency was still in intensive care.

Russell plans on writing letters of commendation to the departments of all those who helped in that emergency, including Gamble, Whatley, and Chuck Farrell with Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue, Koby Harris and Hunter Reed from McAlester Oklahoma Army Ammunition Plant, Chase Smith from Calera Fire and Rescue, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s deputies Sgt. Guin, Sgt. Spencer, C. Montgomery, C. Basinski, C. Adams, and Z Cardwell.

Anna Malone and Keiona Billups with NorthStar ambulance service drove the victim to DCH Regional Medical Center, according to the Alabama Fire College.

Get news alerts in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store or subscribe to our email newsletter here.

Copyright 2023 WBRC. All rights reserved.