The Grayson County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) has announced a deputy has been given the GCSO Lifesaving Award.
At Tuesday Grayson County Fiscal Court meeting, Sheriff Norman Chaffins bestowed the honor to Deputy Rick Mehlbauer, “For performing a lifesaving act on May 26, 2020, by administering CPR — for over 15 minutes until EMS arrived — (on) a female who was not breathing and unresponsive.”
“If not for Deputy Mehlbauer’s quick response and lifesaving measures this young lady would have died,” Chaffins said. “Your actions reflect great credit upon yourself, our nation’s law enforcement profession and the citizens of Grayson County.”
Mehlbauer, citing the declining attitude toward many in law enforcement over the last 18 months, expressed that any upbeat news regarding policing feels good, as he promoted other first responders’ everyday lifesaving efforts.
“In this day and time, anything that sheds a positive light on law enforcement feels good,” Mehlbauer stated. “This is the second Lifesaving Award in my career (after winning the award in 2009), but first responders save lives every day and are never recognized for their efforts.”
Chaffins, in giving Mehlbauer the award, broached the subject of saving citizens who have overdosed, as was the case with the woman Mehlbauer brought back to life.
“I’ll tell you, a lot of people can feel we have a drug problem in Grayson County, and if I’m not mistaken, that particular instance (when Mehlbauer saved the woman’s life), may have been drug induced; however, one of the things I do want to make sure everybody understands is that if we come across someone that’s unresponsive, and we think they need to be ‘Narcanned” or they need to be given medicine or CPR, regardless why they’re unresponsive, we’re always going to try and save their life,” Chaffins emphatically said.
“We’ve had comments before where somebody has overdosed on drugs, (and someone says), ‘Look, that’s the fourth time (they’ve overdosed), shouldn’t there be some type of limitation on how many times you can bring somebody back to life?’ I would just simply ask: If that was your child, if that was your son or daughter, wouldn’t you want us to save their life? And I think the answer should be ‘yes’ from every parent in Grayson County. And that’s certainly the heart that Deputy Rick Mehlbauer has,” the sheriff said.
Chaffins continued his praise of Mehlbauer, who joined the GCSO in late 2019 after 29 years with Kentucky Fish & Wildlife, as he talked about Mehlbauer’s work ethic and the trust he has in the longtime law enforcement officer.
“I can’t really say enough about Rick: … He’s always doing his job and he’s been doing it for a long time; he’s retired from Fish & Wildlife. And he’s just one of those guys, I know when I’m off duty, and I’m at home, and Rick’s out, I don’t have to worry about anything. I know he’s going to take care of business and he’s going to treat people right. (It’s) the same thing with all my deputies. I can tell you the crew I have right now at the sheriff’s office is second to none. I put them up against anybody.”
(Photo: Deputy Rick Mehlbauer, on left, being present the GCSO Lifesaving Award by Sheriff Norman Chaffins)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
