The Newburyport Police Foundation has completed it's 2008 fundraiser. We would like to thank all the Newburyport residence, businesses and surrounding communities for all their wonderful donations. Your support helps us give to many programs throughout our community, such as assistance and financial support to officer's and their families during difficult times, community projects, local scholarships, sports, education, domestic violence, food programs and many more. The Newburyport Police Department thanks you.

Press Release

Fr: Thomas Howard, City Marshal

Re: Community Hero Award

Today Officers Dani Michalek and Charles Vorderis were both recognized by the American Red Cross as Community Heroes at its sixth annual Heroes Breakfast, held at the Danvers-port Yacht Club, for their efforts to revive a victim on Christmas morning 2007. 

On December 25, 2007 at approximately 0125 hours, Officers Vorderis and Michalek responded to a 911 call for a person not breathing at a residence on Pleasant Street. Officer Vorderis arriving first discovered an unresponsive 69 year-old female. Reportedly she’d been sleeping for approximately two hours when it was discovered she had stopped breathing. Officer Vorderis finding no pulse and her eyes showed no reaction to light, began to administer one-person CPR.  Officer Vorderis accessed his portable defibrillator and attached the electrodes, which recommended a “shock”. The victim was shocked but did not regain consciousness. Officer Michalek arrived on scene and together these officers continued two-person CPR. They went through several cycles of CPR before AMR arrived on-scene. These officers transferred treatment to the paramedics and continued to assist with treatment. The victim was shocked a second time, intubated and then given intravenous drugs. Miraculously, the victim began to breathe and had a strong pulse. The victim was transported to the Anna Jaques Hospital and then air-lifted to a Boston hospital for further treatment. The victim has returned home and is grateful for the assistance these officers and other medical staff provided.

It is a proud day for these officers for their recognition by the Red Cross as Community Heroes. This is just another example of the importance of having well treated professionals being able to respond quickly to a medical emergency. The department is grateful to the Newburyport, Provident, and Institution for Savings Banks for their assistance in  purchasing of our defibrillators. These defibrillators are deployed daily in cruisers with the hope of being able to provide immediate assistance to a victim that has stopped breathing.