Manchester Police held an awards ceremony to recognize officers for outstanding service above and beyond the call of duty.

The Life Saving Medal is presented to Officer Stephen Irwin in recognition of his prompt and alert actions, ultimately preventing a tragic outcome.
On August 21, 2017, at approximately 11:55 a.m., Officer Irwin observed several subjects who appeared to be in distress, outside a residence on Cypress Street. As he approached, one of the subject’s began yelling for help. The subject advised that his friend, who was inside the residence, was not conscious and not breathing.
Officer Irwin immediately entered the apartment and observed a female lying on her back. He quickly assessed her medical status and confirmed she was not breathing and did not have a pulse. He alerted dispatch to have emergency medical services respond to the address and then started to perform CPR.
Officer Irwin performed over 500 chest compressions before the female began to cough and he was able to finally detect a pulse. Officer Irwin continued to monitor her medical status until the arrival of emergency medical assistance.
The woman later stated that she had not used drugs for over six months, but that day relapsed by snorting what she believed to be heroin.
Medical technicians credited Officer Irwin’s efforts with saving the woman’s life.