An 11-year-old Florida boy was recognized by the Seminole County Fire Department (SCFD) Wednesday for his swift actions and excellent teamwork with a dispatcher when his grandmother suffered a medical emergency.
While walking home from a bus stop with her grandson Elija Alba in December, Denise Diomede collapsed, WFTV reported.
“She started having trouble breathing,” Elijah told the outlet. “And then she told me to call mom. And then I saw her on the ground.”
After phoning his mother, who called 911, Elijah received a phone call from dispatcher Jen Moriarty.
“I have kids of my own, so I channeled my ‘mom zone’ and talked to him like I’d talk to one of my own kids,” Moriarty told WESH.
During the call between Moriarty and Alba, Diomede noted she had COPD and emphysema, according to WESH. Moriarty instructed Elijah to have his grandmother use her inhaler and communicated with him until crews arrived.
“All I had to do was listen to her,” Alba told WESH.
On Wednesday, Diomede praised her grandson while attending a ceremony at Station 25 in Casselberry, honoring him and Moriarty for their teamwork as part of National Telecommunicators Week.
“He hung in there like a champ. You know, if it wasn’t for him – I probably couldn’t have spoke to them because I couldn’t breathe,” she told the SCFD. “So thank God he was there. I wasn’t babysitting him. He was babysitting me.”
Moriarty was impressed with Elijah’s ability to stay cool during the emergency.
“Very impressive. Most adults don’t even do that,” she said, per the SCFD.
“We call our dispatchers our first first responders,” said Deputy Chief John Thibert. “We affectionately call them here our ‘Fifth Battalion.’”
“We know this job is demanding. It’s difficult. The role they play is absolutely critical behind the scenes,” he added.
Moriarty detailed the love she has for her job.
“I love what I do. I love coming to work every day, I love answering the phone calls, I like talking to the units over the radios – I love everything about it,” she said. “I love being able to help people.”
For his efforts in December, Alba was given an honorary firefighter’s badge. He also received Monster Jam tickets from Bari Musawwir, the driver of the Zombie truck, and tickets from the Orlando Magic. Marlow’s Tavern donated a gift card to Moriarty.
“I’d rather have her in my life than all this,” the 11-year-old told WFTV. “She cares for me a lot and I care for her. And she’s way better than all the stuff we got today.”
Scroll down to leave a comment and share your thoughts.
