For the second time this year, Aurora honored city employee Brian Moreno for his heroic actions.
Moreno, 27, a community engagement specialist for the city, jumped into action April 25 when a 63-year-old resident collapsed at the top of a stairwell and lost consciousness prior to a neighborhood group meeting.
After seeing foam come out of the resident’s mouth and feeling no pulse, Moreno began performing CPR, pumping the resident’s chest repeatedly for more than two minutes, officials said.
As the ambulance arrived, the resident’s heart began to beat again, and he regained consciousness. He was then transported to the hospital for treatment.
Just four months before that, in January, Moreno’s quick-thinking actions helped de-escalate a situation at the city’s warming center at the Aurora Transportation Center, officials said, where an 18-year-old is accused of coming to the facility with a firearm, pointing it at several people and also striking someone at the center, according to Aurora police.
Moreno was staffing the warming center during the incident, quickly called 911 and helped to usher guests outside to safety, officials said.
“No one ever knows what they’re going to do when faced with a situation like that,” said Mayor Richard Irvin at this week’s City Council Committee of the Whole meeting. “Brian knows. He did it twice.”
Irvin, the City Council and members of the city’s public safety community honored Moreno during the meeting with a certificate.
As he received multiple ovations, Moreno downplayed his heroics, saying as a child growing up, he always wanted to be a superhero like Batman.
But it was a higher power he thanked for allowing him to do the things he did – God.
“If it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have the strength,” he said. “I don’t know why God picked me.”
slord@tribpub.com
