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SAVIORS

By Senior Airman Ryan Kuntze, 128th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs Office / Published September 17, 2009

Technical Sgt. Nicole Crivello, left and Master Sgts. Patricia Gross and Angela Petri were honored by the City of Cudahy for potentially saving the life of Linda Provolo, center September 15, 2009. The three airmen from the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Milwaukee where honored in a city resolution citing an act of heroism for performing CPR and saving Linda Provolo who had collapsed and suffered a heart attack outside her home. (U.S. Air Forces photo by Staff Sgt. Nathan Wallin/Released)
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Technical Sgt. Nicole Crivello, left and Master Sgts. Patricia Gross and Angela Petri were honored by the City of Cudahy for potentially saving the life of Linda Provolo, center September 15, 2009. The three airmen from the 128th Air Refueling Wing, Milwaukee where honored in a city resolution citing an act of heroism for performing CPR and saving Linda Provolo who had collapsed and suffered a heart attack outside her home. (U.S. Air Forces photo by Staff Sgt. Nathan Wallin/Released)

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MILWAUKEE -- Three Air Force recruiters performed emergency cardiopulmonary resuscitation on a local Cudahy resident on Wednesday, July 22. 

The recruiters were going off-base to visit a local coffee shop when they saw an elderly lady frantically waving her arms and trying to direct attention to a second lady, who was unconscious on the ground, said Tech. Sgt. Nikki Crivello, a production recruiter at the 128th Air Refueling Wing here. 

Crivello said the recruiters were in a van and, upon seeing the unconscious woman, stopped in the road. Master Sgt. Patty Gross, the recruiting and retention non-commissioned officer-in-charge at Volk Field, and Master Sgt. Angela Petri, the recruiting office supervisor at the 128 ARW, immediately jumped out of the van and rushed across the street, Crivello said. 

"Patty and Angela jumped out of that car like they were superheroes," Crivello said. 

Petri, a former member of the medical squadron at the 128 ARW, began to perform CPR and was assisted by Gross, Crivello said. 

"The first thing that came to mind were the ABCs: she wasn't breathing, and she had a weak pulse," Petri said. 

The ABCs are part of military self-aid and buddy care instruction, and deal with airway restrictions, breathing capabilities, and circulation of blood throughout the body. 

Petri said she had only one thought going through her mind when she saw the unconscious woman. 

"The thought going through my mind was: I hope I can help," Petri said. "I hope I can remember what I learned as an emergency medical technician." 

Crivello, who was talking with the unconscious woman's neighbor and friend, said Petri and Gross performed CPR for about two minutes, when the city EMTs arrived. 

After the EMTs took control of the situation, Petri continued to assist in any way she could, she said. The EMTs used an automatic external defibrillator to stabilize the woman's health, and were soon assisted by paramedics from a local hospital, she said. Police officers arrived and questioned the recruiters and the unconscious woman's neighbor, she said.

"It felt good to help because the woman's friend didn't know CPR," Petri said. "We gave her a chance. It felt like we were supposed to be there." 

Following the event, when the recruiters  returned to base, Petri said, "I'd hope anyone would do what we did."