Chicago dispatcher who saved life of retired firefighter given national award in Times Square

A Chicago dispatcher who saved the life of a retired firefighter was given a national award at Times Square in New York Monday morning, proclaiming that her “swift actions and steady voice marked the difference between life and death.”

Amanda Garr, a Chicago fire communications operator, was one of 11 honorees given the First Responders Children’s Foundation Hero Award at a ceremony that used their life-saving efforts to highlight the profound impact of first responders.

“Dispatchers like Garr are our heroes,” read a statement accompanying the award. “They serve as the critical link between those in need and the first responders on the ground.”

Last October, Garr helped save the life of George Ma’Ayteh after Ma’Ayteh’s friend called 911 when he “wasn’t breathing normally.”

Garr quickly notified a dispatcher to send an ambulance before calmly instructing the caller about how to perform CPR on Ma’Ayteh.

Each year, the First Responders Children’s Foundation picks an individual representing each first responder category to be honored for their efforts and receive an award on behalf of all first responders in their respective fields.

Garr received the award on behalf of all call-takers and dispatchers nationwide.

“We are here to honor and celebrate first responder heroes from across the United States representing each facet of emergency response,” Robert Appleton, staff inspector with the New York State Police, said at the ceremony. “First responders are the ones, after all, that embody pure altruistic behavior, where service before self is more than a slogan.”

Though dispatchers typically don’t meet the people whose lives they saved, Garr was an exception when she met Ma’Ayteh at a news conference at the OEMC West Side office in April.

At the time, Garr told reporters that her training and love for the job played a role in saving Ma’Ayteh’s life.

She received a commendation from the OEMC for her efforts.

“I just love helping people,” Garr said. “I know that when people call 911, they’re not calling because they’re having a good day. My hope is to be able to be there and help make that a little bit easier.”