Evesham police officer wins security site’s inaugural hero award

The security system monitor known for its annual Safe Cities list expands its honors to people who extend themselves for community safety. Evesham Police Officer Bryan Strockbine, whose actions saved three lives in 10 days last March, receives the first-ever SafeWise Heroes Award.

The 37-year-old, 12-year veteran of the department said that ongoing training and day-to-day experience had major roles in a whirlwind week and a half.

Strockbine's three dates with destiny began March 8, answering a call about a lifeless body on a front lawn. He found what he later learned was a domestic violence victim, unconscious, turning blue and foaming at the mouth.

Strockbine estimated that she had been out of consciousness for about seven minutes and began applying cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

He says that practicing CPR on dummies is a far cray from deploying it on humans. "They always tell you, 'You're going to end up breaking ribs,'" Strockbine said. "When you're doing the compressions, and you can hear the ribs breaking, it's almost like, 'Oh, wow, it's true. It really happens.'"

When emergency medical responders intervened within about three minutes, Strockbine saw the woman's eyelids flutter. "It was almost like I wanted to do a backflip… I was so excited I found a pulse," he said. "It's hard to describe what that moment was like; to know…somebody was lifeless, and all of a sudden they're back."

Through his actions, the victim was able to speak by the time she was placed in an ambulance, and the dialogue led to an arrest.

Four days later, responding to a crash, Strockbine saw the driver fading from consciousness inside the locked car. He broke through the glass, opened the door and pulled the driver to the street while calling for EMTs. He later learned that he helped avert a diabetic emergency.

Strockbine's next deployment of CPR arrived March 18, when he responded to a 911 call by an elderly man whose wife stopped breathing.

Chief Christopher Chew said that residents have often complimented Strockbine to him. "Bryan has consistently been one of our better officers throughout his career," Chew said.

The chief places great emphasis on training, with daily discussions of potential situations that give officers a chance to evaluate their responsbilities and community expectations.

"We are constantly just reiterating that daily to our officers…and trying to put ourselves in a position before it happens," Chew said.

He holds that public safety requires the entire community involvement, and points to the support of Evesham officials, and of businesses that particpate in programs such as Coffee With A Cop.

Officers in Evesham, like many other towns, build rapport with children by engaging them in chat, and thorugh bike-helmet rewards, in which kids who wear helmets while wheeling along get coupons for free slushies, pizza or ice cream.

Safewise is an independent site that supplies information about home security, and reviews and ranks systems using criteria including technology, features, credibility, popularity, value and customer support.

SafeWise is on the lookout for people from every walk of life whose exceptional skill, bravery or commitment has enhanced your community's way of life. Know someone? Send a nomination to clair@safewise.com.