InTucker Magazine

Citizen of the Month – Raey Zirotti

Some heroes wear capes, and some wear Tucker Parks and Recreation shirts. Last month, the American Red Cross honored Tucker Parks and Recreation’s Raey Zirotti. He was honored with the Red Cross Lifesaver Award, for saving a child’s life from choking at the Rec Center. Raey is also a resident of Tucker and fully qualified to be this month’s Citizen of the Month.

On April 29, Zirotti was performing his usual duties at the Recreation Center’s back desk when a young boy and his sister approached. As the boy began chatting with Zirotti, he pulled out a burger and started eating. Suddenly, Zirotti noticed the boy coughing. After listening for two more coughs, Zirotti realized something was wrong. The boy’s eyes widened and he had a concerned look on his face. That’s when Zirotti sprang into action. He rushed from behind the desk and performed the Heimlich maneuver. “I ran around the desk and did the Heimlich abdominal thrust and it was just so quick,” Zirotti said. “There was no time to think, I knew what I was supposed to do. After he coughed out the obstruction, I checked to see if he was okay. He said he was fine and I made sure he got water.”

After the piece of burger dislodged and fell from the boy’s mouth, he apologized to Zirotti, who reassured him that everything was okay and that he was just relieved the boy was safe. Zirotti credits his CPR and first-aid training for preparing him to respond quickly and effectively. He also expressed gratitude to Parks and Recreation Administrative Services Manager Jess Joiner for providing the training.

“This was part of our normal training to be CPR and first aid certified working at TRC,” Zirotti said. “It was doing the regular online course and then in-person training with Jess. One of the things that really helped me out was we trained with the mannequins but we also had an exercise simulating an actual choking event with a real person. We had another staff member come in and we went through what we would do to position somebody. I have to give props to Jess for talking to us about different scenarios versus a kid or an adult. That training really did come in handy.”

Zirotti received so much praise from his coworkers for his bravery and his heroism. Many people at TRC are also proud of Raey for including his Red Cross Instructor.

“All Parks and Recreation staff are CPR/First Aid/AED certified,” Joiner said. “As our Red Cross Instructor, it is my role to ensure that we are adequately trained in the event of an emergency at one of our facilities. Raey demonstrated a calm and cool head during an emergency. He’s a very humble and hard-working guy, and to nominate him for this award was a no brainer. We are beyond proud of him and take great pride in calling him part of the TRC family.”

Zirotti is glad to receive this award because it shows that the training that people go through really does matter. Despite his heroic act Zirotti said he does not feel like a hero, he’s just glad he was in the right place at the right time.

“Pay attention to these things because you never know when they can save someone else’s life or your own life,” Zirotti said. “I don’t feel like a hero; I am just happy that somebody is ok.”

Next time you are at TRC be sure to say hi to Raey and thank him for his quick thinking and for being part of the Tucker family.