FORT CARSON, Colo. -- In his five years as a military policeman, Sgt. Michael Cole had never performed CPR on a live person, even in training. That changed when he responded to an emergency call on post May 5, 2015.
As a patrol supervisor for the 127th Military Police Company, 759th MP Battalion, Cole typically roams the post during his shifts, responding to the more-critical or important calls along with the MPs he supervises.
In the midst of an uneventful shift in the early morning hours May 5, he received a radio call reporting a possible medical emergency. Among those closest to the scene, he arrived at the house at roughly the same time as Spc. Joshua Boliou and Pfc. Jonathan Moon, also 127th MPs.
A person at the residence met them at an open door and directed them to a person in an upstairs bedroom.
"When you first arrive at a place where people have called for help, you have a lot of thoughts running through your head," Cole said. "Situational awareness told us there was a party going on, and when I learned the patient was unresponsive, my first thought was for her safety. That's just a mindset you have when you enter a house."
As he climbed the stairs, Cole began running through the steps he would need to take. Paramedics would want to know particular information about the patient, such as age, gender and whether they were breathing or bleeding.
When he walked into the room he found an unconscious female who appeared to be in her mid-20s who wasn't breathing and had no pulse. He attempted to put on rubber gloves, but as adrenaline pumped through his veins the task suddenly seemed unimportant. He threw the gloves aside and directed Boliou and Moon to call dispatch to alert them that he was starting CPR.
"I might have made the radio call myself as well, but I don't remember getting a response, so it might not have gone through," he said. "It turned out that I was talking to no one. Boliou and Moon had gone to retrieve our CPR mask."
For the next few minutes time seemed to stop for Cole. And that's when he said his training just "kicked in."
He remembers fearing the worst as he leaned over the patient, imagining that paramedics would eventually show up and take over and he would later hear the devastating radio call that the patient didn't make it.
"We do 30 chest compressions and then two breaths," he said. "I was surprised when she snapped back to life on the 17th compression."
His relief was short-lived, however, as his patient kept drifting in and out of consciousness.
"I started using what we call a sternum rub, where you drag up and down on the rib cage," he said. "That worked three times, but she went unconscious again. After the fourth time, I had to start CPR again."
This time the patient awoke on Cole's 13th compression.
Paramedics arrived shortly after, surprising Cole yet again with the way they worked calmly to stabilize the patient.
"We then went about learning as much as we could from the house guests," he said. "It turns out we were dealing with a case of overzealous drinking. We relayed as much information as we could to the paramedics and as far as we know the patient was discharged the next day."
Following the event, Cole said he and his company have many takeaways, including the importance of training.
"Even though we do a lot of it, and it can get boring and repetitive, you never know when that circumstance will come along where you'll need to help save a life," he said. "For me, it was a rewarding experience, especially considering recent media reports and how people view police."
Cole has proven himself both as a law enforcement professional and dedicated team leader since he arrived at Fort Carson, said Capt. Denard Honeysuckle, 127th MP commander.
"From a command perspective, his response was a result of his personal soldiering and Fort Carson professional training. This was a great reflection on not just him or his fellow responders, but on the ethic all military police strive for day in and day out."
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