by Alex Brooks
On Wednesday, May 26, The Petersburgh Ambulance squad presented an award to twelve year old Mark A. Hackett for the cool head, bravery and self-possession he showed in getting help when his father, Mark E. Hackett, cut himself with a chain saw last December. As ambulance squad Lieutenant Dennis Smith told the story, in the face of a
nasty cut on his father’s arm and a good deal of blood, young Hackett remained calm, got a towel to wrap the wound, called 911 and answered the dispatcher’s questions in a responsible manner. Smith said Mark’s quick action “potentially saved a life that day.” Mark’s friends Josh Wood, 13, and Tegan Wood, 10, were also there, and they helped to pressure-wrap the wound, under instructions from the elder Mark, while young Mark spoke on the phone to ambulance dispatchers.