ONTARIO — Ontario police officer Rod Roose has been applauded as a hero after his work to save a young child from choking.
Roose responded to a dispatch call on June 23 around 10:20 a.m. and used a LifeVac device to clear the obstruction from the toddler’s throat.
The officer was at the residence for just over a minute helping the young boy.
The LifeVacs consist of a mask that fit over the nose and mouth of a choking person and use a reverse plunging technique to suction obstructions out of the choking person’s airways.
Roose said he thinks the toddler choked on a toy nail from a work bench.
“The parents were doing all they could — back blows and the Heimlich — but that thing was not coming out,” he said. “The little guy was coughing up blood because I think the toy scratched his throat.
“He’s a happy kid now and the family’s doing well.”
Police Chief Tommy Hill put LifeVacs in all Ontario Police Department response vehicles in 2020. There is one size for children and another size for adults.
Because the LifeVacs are sterilized and sealed, the police department has to replace them after each use.
“We always look for new technology that can help us in different situations,” he said.
“I don’t know how successful the Heimlich maneuver is, but any device that can help us respond to a choking person or give us a better chance at success is worth having.”
Hill said all of his officers are trained on how to use LifeVacs, but Roose was the first OPD officer to use the device before Springfield Township fire department employees arrived on scene.
“One of the worst calls you can go on is a choking person because it’s just a scary call, especially with a child,” Hill said.
“We consider Rod Roose a hero for this, and we’re just so grateful that we have these devices in our cars.”
Roose will be honored at the Ontario Police Department’s annual banquet with a lifesaving award for his response.
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