SHARE

School Scare: Northern Valley HS Staffer Collapses, Heroes Respond

No students were in the immediate area when a staff member collapsed and stopped breathing at Northern Valley Regional High School in Old Tappan, authorities said. Luckily police were.

Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan

Northern Valley Regional High School at Old Tappan

Photo Credit: NVRHS at Old Tappan / Old Tappan PD

The staffer had gone to the Technology Department on the second floor for help with a computer issue when he suffered a medical episode shortly after 10:30 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30, they said.

As fortune would have it, help was right downstairs.

Police Sgt. Eugene Wilkins was conducting a school security walk-through with Class III Officers Michael Foti and Thomas Tully when a staffer came running at 10:40 a.m. Friday, Sept. 30, Old Tappan Police Chief Joseph Tracy said.

They ran to a second-floor office, where they "found the male staff member on the floor unconscious with mild respirations," the chief said.

Students were all sheltered in place, he said.

The staffer had stopped breathing, with no pulse, when a school nurse brought a defibrillator.

"CPR was initiated and one shock was administered," Tracy said. 

The staffer then regained consciousness and began breathing on his own, the chief said.

Arriving Norwood EMS members and paramedics from Hackensack University Medical Center arrived took over before he was brought to HUMC, he said.

The shelter-in-place was then lifted and the school day resumed.

"No students were in the office or wing of the school during the entire episode," Tracy said.

to follow Daily Voice Elizabeth and receive free news updates.

SCROLL TO NEXT ARTICLE