ROCHESTER — Firefighters, paramedics, and police in Rochester were awarded at a ceremony last week for saving the life of Rochester Fire Chief Scott Weigel when he suffered a heart attack in August.

According to a Facebook post from the Rochester Fire Department, six firefighters and paramedics from the department were honored with a Lifesaver Award at the Sept. 28 ceremony, along with seven others involved in the Aug. 14 incident.

These included two Rochester police officers and two Freetown firefighters who also received a lifesaver award, as well as two Regional Old Colony Comm Center dispatchers who received 911 Lifesaver awards — and Weigel's wife Susan, who received a Civilian Lifesaver Award.

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"This special group of individuals all collectively played a critical role in the saving of our Fire Chiefs life back on 8/14/22 when he suffered a cardiac arrest at his home," the post from the department reads.

A handout from the ceremony notes that the first responders were honored for an "outstanding and exemplary performance" during the call.

The handout concludes, "The lifesaving efforts by you and the other responders involved not only led to the successful outcome of this call, but saved his life."

Sippican Week reports that Susan Weigel gave CPR to her husband over the phone during the crisis.

According to the news outlet, the chief's life was saved in part thanks to the advanced life support system, a fire department program he implemented nearly a decade ago to upgrade equipment and hire and train paramedics for life-threatening situations.

More than 150 people attended the event, according to the department's post.

At the same ceremony, firefighters were also given member service awards for decades of service.

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