ANTIOCH, Illinois — Two Antioch police officers were formally honored after officials said their quick actions during separate medical emergencies directly helped save lives.

According to Shaw Local News Network, the Antioch Police Department recognized Officer Mathew Hart and Officer Patrick Conrad with the department’s Life Saving Award and Medal during a Village of Antioch board meeting on May 13.

The report said the recognitions stemmed from two separate medical-aid calls in March and April where each officer arrived quickly, retrieved emergency medical equipment, and began life-saving intervention before patients were transported for hospital care.

Officer Mathew Hart recognized after March medical-aid call

Hart was honored for his response to a March 27 medical-aid call, according to the local report. After arriving, he was flagged down by a woman calling for help and entered a residence, where he found an adult patient in need of immediate aid.

Shaw Local reported that Hart began CPR and continued life-saving efforts until Antioch Fire Department personnel arrived. The victim’s heartbeat was restored before transport to the hospital, where the individual was treated and recovered, according to the report.

Officer Patrick Conrad recognized after April emergency

Conrad was recognized for an April 2 medical-aid response, the report said. After arriving at the scene, he retrieved his emergency medical equipment and found an unresponsive man in a basement.

According to the report, Conrad provided emergency intervention and the patient resumed spontaneous respirations before ambulance transport. The man was treated at the hospital and recovered, Shaw Local reported.

Chief says the moments show the weight officers carry

Antioch Police Chief Geoffrey Guttschow said in a news release quoted by Shaw Local that extraordinary acts often happen without public attention.

“Our officers respond to people in crisis, make difficult decisions under pressure, and carry responsibilities that can have life-altering consequences,” Guttschow said, according to the report.

The chief also said the calls were moments that show police work is “sometimes quite literally the difference between life and death,” according to Shaw Local.

For supporters of public safety, the story is a reminder that lifesaving law-enforcement work is not always a dramatic chase or headline-grabbing arrest. Sometimes it is an officer arriving with a medical kit, starting CPR, and holding the line until the next level of care gets there.

Sources and attribution

  • Shaw Local News Network reported the names, award details, dates, medical-aid summaries, recovery outcomes, and Chief Geoffrey Guttschow’s quoted remarks.
  • The featured image is an original ThinBlueNews editorial graphic. It is not a patient, residence, officer, or incident photo.