13 May
Corrections are praising several staff at Wanganui Prison for their quick actions and professionalism which saved the life of a prisoner on Monday.
The Corrections Officers who first reacted to a cell alarm discovered the prisoner in his bed looking at first as though he was asleep. However, the officers investigated further and discovered the prisoner had self-harmed and was in a life threatening state says acting Wanganui Prison Manager Jan Smith.
“They called for medical assistance and immediately began CPR for the prisoner. The nursing staff then arrived quickly, assessed the situation and called for advanced paramedics straight away.
“Because of the expediency of all staff, their first aid skills, adherence to procedures and professional attitudes, an incident with the potential for far more serious consequences was averted.
“While our staff are fairly modest and humble and will likely say it’s just part of their jobs, this incident shows the sort of challenging situations they can face working in a prison environment.”
This type of incident also reiterates the value staff bring and the importance training provides to their day to day roles says Ms Smith.
“It was textbook in terms of the training the Corrections Officers get; what was meant to happen did happen because of their superb actions. By being highly professional about it they saved a man’s life.”
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