PERRY, Ga. — A woman in Perry is grateful to be alive after first responders offered life-saving support right in front of their fire station.
When Cheryl Taibi walked into work on July 29th, her co-worker Jason Poole knew something was wrong.
She told him she thought she was having a heart attack.
Poole put her in his truck and started driving to the hospital.
"We didn’t make it. We ended up in the parking lot at the fire station," he said.
Captain Kenneth Genthner said his crew was just sitting down to eat breakfast.
"We hear a truck pull up honking the horn. We look out the door and see somebody waving," he said.
They knew something was wrong.
Poole told Genthner his friend was having a heart attack and they jumped into action.
The Tower 1 EMT crew, Genthner and Sergeant Jonathan Yoder, both started checking Taibi's vitals.
Genthner said they heard no breathing and felt no heartbeat.
The Rescue 1 crew, Firefighters Vince Walls and Darius Ingram grabbed their medical equipment from their truck.
Both crews began CPR.
Engine 1 crew Lieutenant Billy Gordon, who is a friend of Taibi's, and Firefighters Ken McDonald and David White came back to the station to help in any way they could.
"When you’re doing chest compressions, it can wear you out," said Genthner, but they kept going for seven minutes until EMS arrived.
Perry Police came outside to make sure no traffic got in their way.
Once the Houston Healthcare ambulance arrived, Paramedic Michael Sumner and EMT Bert Lewis continued life-saving procedures before putting Taibi in the ambulance.
Taibi said she doesn't remember a thing.
Two-and-a-half months later, she said she is feeling good.
"I really appreciate what the guys at the fire department did. They were super-good and I’d be dead if it wasn’t for the combination of all of them," she said.
That's why, during a special city council meeting Tuesday night, all these first responders were given a "Life Saving Award" and a special pin to wear on their uniforms.
Taibi said she spent three days on life support and went home six days later.
Now, she's back at work at Ace Hardware.
"God was looking down on us. It was nothing short of God’s plan, God’s will. God still has some more work for Cheryl to do here," said Poole.
Genthner said he not only credits his team for saving Taibi, but also Poole. He said that quick thinking might’ve just saved her life.
"A lot of times, it don’t usually go that way. We want to make sure we give all these other guys a chance to get an award so they can be thanked by the person that we were able to save," he said.
Taibi and Poole have worked together for 20 years. She calls him her adopted son, but after this, she calls him her hero.
Taibi and Poole surprised those first responders with a grill from the store so they can have a place to cook out at the station.
Taibi said it’s just another way to say, "Thank you."