Staff honored for saving man’s life in Chesterfield library
Danielle Tarullo and other employees jumped into action to help a man who was found unresponsive.
CHESTERFIELD, Va. (WWBT) - Inside the LaPrade Library off Hull Street Road, you’ll find Danielle Tarullo helping people check out their next read.
“I like helping people,” said Tarullo, the assistant branch manager for LaPrade Library. “I like that nothing is the same twice. I enjoy talking about books and connecting people to resources.”
On June 1, Tarullo’s helping hand went beyond the bookshelf.
“I had actually just stepped out of a brief meeting when our staff member came to the back to get me,” she said. “Our staff member had helped a gentleman get on a computer and realized something wasn’t right.”
When Tarullo checked on the man, she said he was unresponsive.
“He was not breathing and not well, and it looked like a situation where Naloxone was needed,” said Tarullo. “Honestly, my first thought was I just received my Naloxone from having done the training. It’s on my desk, I can grab it.”
Staff members jumped into action, including one who called 911. Tarullo administered Naloxone to the man.
“I made a point of telling him I was giving him Naloxone before I did it, just in case that wasn’t the medical emergency he was experiencing; I wanted him to know what I was doing even though he was unresponsive,” she said. “Gave him the first dose of Naloxone and waited a little bit and didn’t see any change, and gave him a second dose of Naloxone.”
Tarullo also said a customer, who identified themselves as a nurse, helped put the man in a recovery position. First responders quickly got to the library to help stabilize the man, who is recovering.
“Everyone did their role as best as they possibly could have,” Tarullo said.
The Chesterfield County Board of Supervisors honored Tarullo, library staff and first responders for their quick action and response during their meeting on Wednesday afternoon.
“I can’t express my immense gratitude to the many county employees who came together as one to save this customer’s life,” said County Administrator Joe Casey during the meeting.
A bookmark highlighting an important chapter.
“It really just reinforces the importance to harm reduction in our community and validates our efforts to provide Naloxone to the community and be prepared to assist where we can,” said Tarullo. “It was just a relief that we had the resources available and the training so that I knew what to do.”
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