A group of Frontier Middle School employees was honored Thursday morning for their life-saving actions during a medical emergency involving a fellow staff member.

A host of Pierce County Sheriff's deputies were on hand at Frontier to present special Citizen Life-Saving Awards to the employees whose quick thinking, teamwork, and calm response helped save a colleague’s life. The recognition followed an incident in December in which a teacher collapsed at school and required immediate medical attention.

When the emergency occurred, staff members immediately stepped in to help. Rick Ingham, Chari Wright, and Angel Pompa rushed to the teacher’s side and began CPR after determining she was not breathing. Kortnie Kanton called 911, while Amy Wingerter and Melissa Pace alerted the front office for additional support. Karen Arteaga quickly retrieved an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), which was used alongside continued CPR efforts.

First responders arrived soon after and transported the teacher to the hospital. Hospital staff later confirmed that the actions taken by Frontier employees -- including CPR, use of the AED, and the 911 call -- directly saved the teacher’s life.

Deputy Josh Miller, who is one of our levy-funded School Resource Officers, nominated the FMS team for their heroic actions. Miller teaches CPR to staff members, and it was that knowledge that helped save the teacher’s life.

“You guys all did something to help save this individual’s life," Miller said. "You guys should be proud of yourselves for that, and we’re going to honor you with this award.”

Thursday’s ceremony highlighted the importance of emergency preparedness and the powerful impact of staff members who are trained and ready to act when it matters most.