The mayor of Worcester awarded the proverbial key to the city to two Local 888 members — crediting them with helping to save the life of a housing authority resident.
Pat Coulter and Rick Fells were working on a Worcester Housing Authority apartment in October. They found a resident passed out on the floor, unresponsive and turning blue. Coulter tried to talk with the resident, while Fells called 911.
The resident did not respond to Coulter’s questions and instructions, so he started chest compressions. Fells stayed on the phone, communicating with both the dispatcher and Coulter, who kept up with the chest compression.
When EMS personnel arrived on the scene, they told Coulter that had he not intervened, the resident would have died.
The housing authority said that its workers’ actions were “heroic and exemplify the mission of the WHA. … Our employees are truly the ‘Heart of Housing’ — and this is a shining example.”
The WHA’s “Heart of Housing” campaign spotlights the staff’s dedication to the residents.