Matrix Security officer’s quick call to action

Festive celebrations may not have been merry for one person, if it hadn’t been for the quick actions and first aid knowledge of a Matrix Security patrol officer just two days before Christmas. Shane Patel was on evening patrol in a South Auckland suburb when he discovered an injured man, knocked to the curb side, suffering severe lacerations to his head. With darkness fast approaching, the man required immediate medical attention – he was losing consciousness. Shane administered first aid practice, alerted medics and supported the man till help arrived. He wasn’t just in the right place, at the right time, he knew how to respond.

First aid a must

Actioning first aid practise in emergency situations, is a skillset Matrix Security officers are trained in, says Matrix Security operations manager, South Auckland, Pete Martelletti.

“Incidents like these aren’t common but we know that if and when they do occur, our team are fully equipped with the correct first aid knowledge to assist. All our staff have full first aid training, and we ensure this is constantly renewed and reviewed in line with New Zealand requirements,” he says. “Regardless of location, industry, time of day, having both the confidence and skills to respond the best way forward in a medical emergency, is a must.”

Call to action

The severity of the man’s head injury, and the fact that he was all alone in low-lit street, wasn’t lost on Shane, who knew time was of the essence.

“The nature of my job is that I’m on high alert and searching places that can often be overlooked by passers-by,” he explains. “I was fortunate enough to be patrolling a client’s premises close to where the injured man was lying – a place he could’ve easily gone undiscovered – and could see immediately he was in no physical state to get himself to safety or to alert someone.”

Beyond the call of duty

Shane was praised for his thorough communications and quick actions. His medical expertise wasn’t the only thing he drew upon that evening. He also secured a roller door of a business premise close to where the man was found.

“I couldn’t walk away from that situation and not ensure all the businesses and buildings were safely secured around it – who knows what sort of danger was lurking and Christmas is an especially heightened time of the year,” explains Shane. “I don’t see it as going out of my way, it’s what any Matrix Security officer would do.”