WEST BEND, Wis. — A November 911 call began with two strangers walking past a West Bend man who had fallen in his driveway while shoveling — and ended with his life being saved.
The two bystanders called 911 after hearing a dog barking, seeing the man on the ground—believing he had suffered a heart attack. When they told Dispatch Supervisor Karen Alliet that none of them knew CPR, she walked them through it step by step until officers arrived. By the end of the call, the man was breathing again.
Alliet said acting fast made all the difference.
"Intervening very quickly is the life saving difference between, is this person going to survive?" she said. "Being able to get that CPR started right away is what made all the difference for him."
Officers David Brehm and Christopher Brook responded to the scene, continued CPR, and kept the man alive.
"Without dispatch giving proper directions to the citizen that observed him and relaying that information to us," Brehm said. "It's a possibility that it didn't work."
Watch: West Bend dispatcher, officers honored with award after talking bystanders through CPR
Brehm said the moment reminded him why he chose law enforcement.
"That's why you get into law enforcement to help people," he said. "If you can save a life it's very gratifying."
Officer Riley DeVor also received the Lifesaving Award after using an AED to save a man's life in a separate response.
Alliet, Brehm, Brook, and DeVor were all honored with the city's Lifesaving Award during Police Week. Alliet said the recognition, while meaningful, is not why she joined the department eight months ago.
"It's a great honor to be recognized," she said. "But I was just doing my job."
To close out Police Week, law enforcement from across Washington County will honor those who have died in the line of duty Friday at noon at the Jackson Fire Department.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
