Hennepin EMS Dispatcher Tom Polzin and Minneapolis 911 Operator Lori Patrick will be joining 9-year-old Rodrigo Sanchez Sosa of Minneapolis in receiving the “Local 9-1-1 Heroes Award” from the National 911 for Kids Program; in conjunction with the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International Convention on August 20 at 6:00 pm.

On May 5, 2012, Sosa’s baby sister was unconscious from a prolonged seizure, so he called 911. Lori Patrick received the call, and recognizing the severity of the emergency, transferred it to Hennepin EMS Dispatcher Tom Polzin.   Thanks to the calm, composed way Sosa described his sister’s symptoms, Polzin was quickly able to assess the situation and send the ambulance.  He then remained on the phone with Sosa until emergency responders arrived.

Rodrigo was nominated for this award after Patrick and Polzin both took note of his ability to remain calm under the pressure of a medical emergency. "This young man had such poise", said Polzin. "I don't get that with a lot of callers, children or adults".

The 9-1-1 Heroes program brings critical awareness to exemplary 9-1-1 youth and dispatch heroes. The award is bestowed upon a young person who distinguishes himself/herself by gallantry and intrepidity when calling 9-1-1 to help save a life or property or to report a crime. Equally as important, this award is presented to the dispatcher or emergency operators who processed the call and dispatched the appropriate emergency response help.