Emergencies can happen at any time; in the grocery store parking lot, at a family wedding, on a hot day at the community pool, at the office, or inside your own home. But regardless of when and where they occur, emergencies usually have one thing in common: a crowd of people standing around, staring at a victim—wondering who should act and trying to remember what to do. That is until a hero emerges from the crowd.

On November 7 last year, and just three weeks after completing the Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED course, Office Chris Kibbee of the University of South Carolina Police Department put his skills to use.

Office Kibbee was off duty and running in a Veterans Day 5k race. It was during that fun run that he observed an individual collapse.

"I saw a small crowd gathered, and I first thought it was something minor to do with the race, and I didn't want to add to the commotion. When I saw another officer there kneel down and roll the individual over, I realized it wasn't just a minor incident," Officer Kibbee described the scene that moved him to action. "I rushed up [to the officer] and told him who I was and where I worked, and then I asked him to grab any equipment he might have in his vehicle since I didn't have anything on me."

Wasting no time, Officer Kibbee checked the individual, and after finding no pulse, he began providing chest compressions and rescue breaths. Thankfully, the victim was revived and then transported to the hospital, where a pacemaker was installed.

"I was an EMT previously. This was my first successful attempt at getting somebody to come back," Officer Kibbee shares his gratitude for the training that equipped him with the skills and confidence to act in an emergency.

There's no question that the quick thinking and action of Officer Kibbee helped to save a life that day. Because of his heroic actions, The American Red Cross has awarded Officer Kibbee the Certificate of Merit – the highest honor and the oldest of the Lifesaving Awards.

"One of our core values at the department is human life. On behalf of the department, I just want to say how proud we are of Officer Kibbee for exemplifying that value," Sergeant Nick Peter trained Officer Kibbee in lifesaving skills and nominated him for the recognition. "As one of the Red Cross instructors, I'm proud to see the training we put them through get put to use to save a life."

The Certificate of Merit is bestowed upon Red Cross-trained individuals who have no obligation to respond to an emergency but do so anyway. This prestigious award bears the signature of the President of the United States.

Do you know someone who's saved a life? Nominate them for the American Red Cross Lifesaving Awards.