2 City DPW Employees Use CPR To Save Coworker's Life

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Two fast-thinking city public works employees are hailed as heroes. One of their coworkers is alive thanks to them. Now city leaders are urging all workers to get the training that saves lives.

Gigi Barnett has more.

Alfonso Jenkins and Greg Schmidt say instinct took over the day they were forced to use CPR on one of their coworkers. The men work at the city's Patapsco Wastewater Treatment Plant in South Baltimore.

Back in December, they noticed something was awfully wrong with their fellow worker. He was unconscious.

"Mr. Schmidt and Mr. Jenkins went over to their coworker, assessed the situation and immediately rendered first aid," said Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.

Jenkins did the chest compressions and Schmidt blew air into the coworker's lungs. Their supervisor called 911.

Their coworker survived.

"Today I wanted to bring you here to City Hall to say thank you," the mayor said.

It was a heartfelt gesture of gratitude from the city, but Mayor Rawlings-Blake included a plea to other city workers to follow their lead and get CPR training.

"You never know when you might need to save a friend, a coworker or a relative," she said.

Just last week, the coworker who the two men saved visited the wastewater plant to thank them face to face. He's on the mend.

"I don't think I did that much of a thing. I just was there and someone was in trouble and I wish they'd do it for me," Schmidt said.

Both men have now received one paid day off they can use at any time.

One of the workers, Greg Schmidt had just completed CPR training back in September.