By Jessica Hayssen, Director of Communications and Meredith Hackler, CCX Media<\/p>\n
It was a cold November morning, and UFCW Local 663 member Rick Phelps was working his normal shift at the Haug\u2019s Cub Foods in Plymouth stocking in grocery. Denise from the Coon Rapids store was working a shift for another member who was out. All of the sudden Rick heard Denise saying loudly over the radio, \u201cCode green! Code green!\u201d He explains, \u201ca code green means there is a medical emergency. I responded to that and it was in aisle 10.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rick took a deep breath before he turned the corner to the next isle, because he didn\u2019t know what to expect. A customer was on the ground.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve done small things here you know like low blood sugar things of that nature,\u201d added Phelps. \u201cI went to check his pulse and for any respiration he had neither. So I started CPR. When I was down doing compressions, our security came up and I asked him to go get the AED. He was on top of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
In fact, 15 years ago Rick took the first responder training offered when he first started working at a Cub Foods in Coon Rapids. Then it became something important to him, he says it\u2019s a hobby, and now he is a volunteer firefighter in St. Francis.<\/p>\n
If not for the union family at Cub Foods, Rick\u2019s training and the AED in the store, the victim might not have survived.<\/p>\n
After paramedics picked up the victim, Rick said, \u201cI finished my shift. I was happy to help. It\u2019s what I do. I just really focused and went through my training. The victim waking up was a bonus\u2014that was great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Many people are calling Rick a hero, including President Utecht. \u201cOn behalf of UFCW Local 663, I want to thank Rick for saving a customer\u2019s life. He truly is a hero.\u201d<\/p>\n
Phelps says he was just doing his job. \u201cI was just doing what I was trained to do,\u201d added Phelps.<\/p>\n
Phelps is grateful he was able to save the man\u2019s life. His hope is that others will take AED and CPR training as well.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you have the opportunity to do it everybody should do it,\u201d added Phelps. \u201cYou never know when the person right next to you is going to need it. Fortunately, I was in the right place at the right time.\u201d<\/p>\n
From making sure the shelves are stocked at Cub, to saving lives as a volunteer first responder, his commitment to his community shows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"