ACPL Security Officers Save Life
On Wednesday, July 31, the Three Rivers Ambulance Authority (TRAA) will recognize the Allen County Public Library’s Safety & Security team for its efforts that resulted in saving the life of an Allen County Public Library (ACPL) patron.
On May 15, 2024 at the Main Library, ACPL librarians alerted security officers to a patron who was lying on the floor face down breathing irregularly. The officers, who are trained as first responders, quickly administered emergency Narcan, CPR, and AED protocols until TRAA paramedics arrived on scene. The patron was safely transported to a local hospital and has since recovered. The ceremony is to honor the care and quick response of the ACPL team. Without this response, the patron would have been unlikely to survive.
“As a public library, we are here to serve our community on their best days, and on their worst,” said ACPL Executive Director Susan P. Baier. “I am so grateful and proud that our incredible Safety & Security team was trained and ready to respond when this patron needed life-saving care. Our staff makes a difference every day in our community, but on some days, we literally save lives.”
According to Baier, the Library sees itself as a place of books and learning, but also as a place where people can be connected to key services and resources. This is why the library has many first responders on staff and has purchased AEDs (automated external defibrillators) for all of its locations. Staff are currently being trained on these machines and when training is completed, library locations will be added to 911’s list of emergency response locations. According to the Library’s Safety & Security Manager Shannen Auker, these will be fully deployed in the coming months. Many locations also have Narcan boxes on site to prevent drug overdoses.
“Our branches are anchors in the communities we serve, and we take that role seriously,” said Baier. “Part of that responsibility is ensuring our patrons are safe and healthy. Any tool, resource, or training we can put in the hands of our staff is one more way we can bridge our patrons to lifelong learning and discovery. This is how we truly live our organizational value of ‘people-first service.’”
The ACPL consists of fourteen branches throughout Allen County, serving more than one million visitors per year. The ACPL’s collection includes more than 2.7 million items, with a circulation total of 4.2 million items borrowed annually.
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