ARLINGTON, Wash. — Arlington teacher Tennessy Fraumeni received the Civilian Phoenix Award from the North County Regional Fire Authority on Wednesday for saving a student’s life last spring.
In May, second grader Naomi Brock was drinking from a plastic water bottle when she began choking on the bottle cap that had gotten stuck in her throat.
Fraumeni used the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the cap, and Naomi could breathe again.
“There are no warning signs for choking; there’s no sound,” Mrs. Fraumeni said. “Another student said that Naomi needs help. When I saw Naomi grasping her throat, I knew what to do. I had just completed ACT first aid training with North County Fire, so I was prepared and didn’t panic. I sent students to the office to call 911 and started doing the Heimlich maneuver on Naomi.”
The Heimlich maneuver is a first aid procedure used to clear an upper-airway obstruction. After two minutes, she heard gagging and was able to clear Naomi’s airway and dislodge the bottle cap.
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