Police Officer Chelsea Eichstedt, center, with her colleagues after being commended for her actions in saving a choking resident. Left, Eichstedt gets a hug from Police Chief Deanna Strout; right, Eichstedt poses with her family.
DALTON, Mass. — Police Officer Chelsea Eichstedt received a commendation and a life-saving award during the Select Board meeting on Monday for her professionalism and empathy demonstrated during a call on Feb. 4.
Eichstedt was dispatched to the home of a 39-year-old man with Down syndrome who was choking.
She successfully cleared his airway using the Heimlich maneuver, and his mother expressed appreciation for how Eichstedt handled the frightening situation with empathy.
According to the mother, "You spoke with him on his level and informed him about everything you were going to do," Police Chief Deanna Strout said in reading the commendation.
"You even told him you were going to give him a big hug so he would understand what it would feel like. According to his mom, she was so grateful because you treated him as a person."
Strout said Eichstedt not only handled herself with professionalism and competence but also used empathy and kindness to add her successful resolution.
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Truck Crashes Into Pittsfield's Samel's Deli
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
Elm Street will be partially closed as cleanup continues.
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wednesday morning was busy for Pittsfield first responders, as a pickup truck crashed into Samel's Deli & Catering and a fire broke out on First Street.
Around 9:45 a.m., the police reported that the street in front of Samel's Deli & Catering would be closed or down to one lane as a result of a two-car collision that sent the truck careening into the deli.
The department posted two photos on Facebook, one depicting the silver truck with New York license plates crashed through the glass of the front entrance and another of a white Honda CR-V with significant damage to the front end.
"A vehicle was coming out of one of the alleyways here and struck this truck, which continued into the building," Police Officer Craig Jones explained when iBerkshires arrived on the scene.
Jones reported that there was one injury, but not whether it was someone in the vehicles or in the deli. A crossing signal near Samel's front entrance was also taken out by the truck.
Around this time, crews worked to clear debris in front of the restaurant as the truck was towed away. That section of the road reopened around 11 a.m.
The police, firefighters and an ambulance responded to the accident and police intend to release a statement on the incident.
Around 6:15 a.m., the Fire Department reported that it had responded to a possible structure fire at 233-235 First St. Windows on all three floors of the multi-family building are now broken or boarded up and the cause is under investigation by the Fire Investigation Unit and investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office.
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