Millions of people were watching Monday night football this week. They saw Damar Hamlin collapse and the medical staff rush in to start CPR within seconds. 

We still don’t know if he will recover fully, or what his condition might be after rehab. But we do know those first responders, whether they were trainers, paramedics, physicians or the ambulance crew, gave him the best possible chance. That is what your EMTs do every day. In Vermont they are often volunteers or paid a pittance for their life-saving work!  

Please, everyone, thank your local first responders, donate generously when they ask for support, and learn the basics of CPR so you can help save someone if you are first on scene when someone “goes down.”

Alice Grau, retired EMT

Bridport