Local police can be lifesavers, too

We count on our law-enforcement officers for so much more than catching bad guys and upholding the law. That was evident recently when the Kalispell Police Department presented awards to two police officers who took exceptional action to save or attempt to save the life of another person.

Officers Jason Parce and Justin Turner received the special recognition for performing CPR on people in need. We’re thankful to have officers who don’t hesitate to do what it takes to help in these kinds of situations.

Daily Inter Lake reporter Breeana Laughlin on March 9 wrote about Parce’s role in saving the life of Flathead Valley Community College custodian Eric Brown. Parce was working an extra shift on May 23, 2017, because the fish weren’t biting in the Flathead River that day. And he just happened to be in the vicinity when Brown, a health-conscious 56-year-old, unexpectedly went into cardiac arrest.

There was another serendipitous twist to Brown’s fate that day. His boss, Calvin Pippin, happened to follow him out the door to talk further about a flooring project and was there when Brown collapsed. Pippin began CPR, and Parce was there in a heartbeat to take over administering CPR and emergency care until the ambulance arrived.

As Officer Turner noted, in many situations police officers are the first line of defense, “so I do think it’s important for officers to be versed in CPR and apply it effectively.” He encouraged all citizens to learn CPR.

That’s good advice, because any of us could be in the right place at the right time to have the opportunity to save someone’s life.

Good job, Vikes!

Congratulations to the Bigfork Vikings boys basketball team for standing tough and bringing home the championship hardware as winners of the state Class B tournament!

The Vikes captured their second title in five years with a 60-56 win over Shelby in the title game March 10 in Missoula.

This was a great way to end an undefeated season, and more than makes up for last year’s disappointment when the boys missed the state tourney after losing in a challenge game.

A hearty congratulations to everyone involved.