Two officers, one from the Mossos d’Esquadra and another from the National Police, stepped in to assist on July 14 when an elderly man undergoing the renewal of his DNI suffered a heart attack at the Plaza de España police station in Barcelona. The incident was witnessed by both police teams, who acted in tandem to ensure immediate intervention for a life-threatening emergency.
The man collapsed suddenly. A Mossos d’Esquadra officer, who happened to be on leave while renewing his daughter’s passport, moved quickly to the scene along with a colleague and a National Police official. They reacted as soon as they confirmed the man was not breathing, quickly switching to rescue mode and coordinating their actions in real time.
Initial assessment showed a faint pulse and shallow breathing. The responders immediately placed him in a safe recovery position, maintaining an open airway while they requested the building’s AED, located at reception, to be brought to the scene. The district police later explained that maintaining a clear airway and establishing effective chest compressions were crucial in the minutes that followed.
As the team continued to provide care, two officers from the Mossos d’Esquadra joined the effort, aiding in resuscitation maneuvers while the AED was prepared for use. The combined team delivered electrical shocks with the AED in an orderly sequence until the man’s pulse gradually regained strength and normal rhythm was restored. The quick, coordinated response helped stabilize him while emergency medical services were on their way to provide further care.
Paramedics and the Emergency Medical System arrived promptly, and the man was transferred to a hospital for definitive treatment. Reports from the medical center, shared two days later with the district police, indicated that he appeared to be free of any immediate cardiorespiratory sequelae, with no evident lasting complications noted at that time.
This incident underscores the vital role that on-site training and interagency cooperation play in urban life-saving efforts. The individuals involved acted decisively, employing proven CPR techniques and AED usage in a high-pressure setting. Their actions likely contributed to preventing a potentially fatal outcome and exemplified the emergency response capabilities that exist within metropolitan police services in Canada and the United States, where cross-border perspectives on first aid and rapid deployment of medical devices continue to influence training programs and policy development. [Police report, 2024]