JAMAICA, N.Y. — 11 minutes felt like an eternity, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection emergency medical technicians administered two doses of Narcan to an unconscious woman outside Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday.
Those efforts were rewarded. The woman regained consciousness and was transported by a New York City Fire Department ambulance to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center for further monitoring and care.
The harrowing ordeal began at 5:48 p.m., when Port Authority Police informed CBP that an unconscious woman was on the sidewalk outside Terminal 4. PAPD requested that CBP Emergency Medical Technicians respond with Narcan. At 5:59 p.m., CBP EMTs administered two doses of Narcan, resulting in the woman regaining consciousness. She was then transported to the hospital for further care.
“CBP EMTs are an asset to CBP and the greater community at our ports of entry. The extraordinary efforts of our EMTs revived an individual during her time of need and we are so very proud of their actions to save a life,” said Francis J. Russo, Director, Field Operations, New York Field Office.
CBP's border security mission is achieved at ports of entry by CBP officers from the Office of Field Operations. CBP officers screen international travelers and cargo and search for illicit narcotics, unreported currency, weapons, counterfeit consumer goods, prohibited agriculture items, and other illicit products that could harm the American public, U.S. businesses, and our nation’s safety and economic vitality. See what CBP accomplished during a typical day in 2022.
Field Operations officers are assigned to air, sea, and land ports of entry and are in direct contact daily with travelers and transportation professionals, such as air and ship crews and truck drivers. Should a traveler or transportation professional suffer a serious medical issue, immediate medical care during those initial minutes can be crucial to a victim’s survival.
CBP started training officers as certified EMTs in 2019. At present, 368 CBP officers are certified as EMTs, four as Advanced EMTs, and 13 as Paramedics. Read about CBP EMTs answering the call during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please visit CBP Ports of Entry to learn more about how CBP’s Office of Field Operations secures our nation’s borders. Learn more about CBP at www.CBP.gov.
Follow the Director of CBP’s New York Field Office on Twitter at @DFONewYork for breaking news, current events, human interest stories, and photos, and the Port Director of CBP’s John F. Kennedy International Airport @CBPPortDirJFK.