NICK IRVIN

WHEELING — Ritchie Elementary School counselor Nick Irvin never wants to have to use the emergency lifesaving training he’s taught as a school employee — CPR, the Heimlich maneuver or an automated external defibrillator. He does know he must always be prepared if such training is needed.

As it happened, Irvin had to put that training to work last week. And, in doing so, he saved one of his students.

Irvin’s quick action in performing the Heimlich on a choking student was lauded by the entire school.

“I always have it stuck in the back of my head that, whenever it comes down to it, I’d know exactly what to do,” he said. “We have a great plan and I was happy I was able to implement it correctly.”

Irvin, called “Mr. Nick” by the students, was cleaning up a lunchroom table about 10 feet away from the child when the students around her started calling for him. He approached the group quickly and started performing the Heimlich. It took just one thrust to dislodge the food in her windpipe.

As quickly as Irvin, in his sixth year at Ritchie and in Ohio County Schools, needed to act, he also needed to keep the students around him as calm as he could.

“I just kept my composure and calm,” he said. “I knew exactly what I needed to do. The kids feed off your energy. They were calm and knew what to do in that situation. That helped me.”

Ritchie Principal John Jorden also applauded the kids for knowing just what to do to help their friend — to call out loudly for the closest adult to come and help.

“We talk to the children at lunch time and I always tell them, ‘This is the one time, guys, that you’re allowed to yell very loud at a teacher,'” Jorden said.

Coincidentally, Jorden said, he had texted Irvin earlier that day to let him know he had set up the next emergency medical training for staff for late December. Jorden was in Washington D.C. that day for the National Blue Ribbon School ceremony.

When Jorden returned, he watched the video from that day and said he couldn’t be more proud of how the situation was handled.

“Mr. Nick is our hero this week,” Jorden said. “He was awesome.”