Contact: Emma Skilbred
Public Information Officer
504-715-8083
Emergency Communications Specialist, Keiane Taylor was Honored for her Emergency Response that Saved a Life
New Orleans, LA (January 26, 2023) The Orleans Parish Communications District is proud to announce that Emergency Communications Specialist, Keiane Taylor was honored at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, for her emergency response that saved the life of Jason Baldwin.
On January 14th, 2023, Ms. Taylor received a call that a person, later to be identified as Jason Baldwin, was laying on the ground, unconscious. Ms. Taylor soon discovered through engaging with the caller, that this person was not breathing. It was then that Ms. Taylor proceeded to give life-saving pre-arrival instructions to the caller on the administration of CPR and the use of an available automated external defibrillator (AED), an easy-to-use medical device that can deliver an electric shock or defibrillation, to help re-establish an effective rhythm, after experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
“I was relieved when Jason Baldwin started breathing,” said Ms. Taylor. “This is a job unlike any other. It takes a special kind of person to do this work. You feel every emotion of the person on the other line, the fear, the panic but it is your job in those moments to remain calm and to administer life-saving pre-arrival instructions. I did my job.”
Our mission at OPCD is to get the right people, to the right place, at the right time; better than anyone else in the world. But before the right people get there, in this case, the heroes at New Orleans Emergency Medical Services and New Orleans Fire Department, the right person, is our hero under the headset, in this case, Ms. Taylor. Our call takers are the first line of response and are with the caller until emergency services arrive. It was Ms. Taylor providing instructions on the administration of CPR and use of the available automated external defibrillator (AED), that saved the life of Jason Baldwin,” said OPCD Executive Director, Tyrell Morris.
“In this case, the availability of an automated external defibrillator (AED) was huge. Jason Baldwin was visiting New Orleans from out of town and the fact that there was an AED readily available nearby speaks to the preparedness of the City of New Orleans to show up for its residents and its visitors in times of need.”
“Here in the City of New Orleans and at OPCD (home of 9-1-1 and 3-1-1) we #SHOWUP for our city’s residents and visitors by providing lifesaving assistance 24/7. It’s call takers like Ms. Taylor that embody the mission of OPCD and make me proud to #SHOWUP.”
“Remember, always call 9-1-1 during a life-threatening emergency, and don’t forget, you can register your AED at opcdla.gov/pulsepoint-aed-location-registration/.”
About Orleans Parish Communications District (www.OPCDLA.gov)
Formed in 1982, the Orleans Parish Communication District is the public safety answering point (PSAP) for all emergency communications via 9-1-1 within Orleans Parish. The agency employs over 180 individuals and provides emergency medical dispatch, emergency fire dispatch, and emergency police dispatch for the millions of annual visitors and residents of the City of New Orleans. OPCD is a member of the Association of Public Safety Communication Officials (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA).