Can we ever appreciate someone enough for saving a life? Is there anything in this world that can honor such bravery, heroism and passion?
Maybe not, but there are ways to show those brave ones, like Campus Police Department (CPD) Officer Jemal Felicien, that we see them and acknowledge what they do for us every single day.
Felicien and his colleagues at the CPD serve and protect New College of Florida, the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and the surrounding community. In June, during a ceremony in Sainer Pavilion, Felicien was sworn in as a newly-appointed officer and bestowed two Meritorious Lifesaving Awards (as well as a third, later). Felicien came to the CPD last year from the North Port Police Department and the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.
Earlier in the pandemic, Felicien was on duty when he was notified by the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office about an unconscious person at the Shell gas station on U.S. 41, adjacent to the New College campus. He rushed there to find out that there was no pulse and no breathing. But Felicien did not give up.
“One part of our job is the need for a quick response to assist with a medical call. When I received this call, I arrived on the scene and noticed a person slumped over in his vehicle,” Felicien said. “I was able to open the door. With my first aid training, I determined that the male subject was not conscious and was not breathing. I picked him up and placed him on the ground, started to give him CPR, and administered Narcan [a medication that blocks the effects of opioids] to him. Moments later, the Sarasota County Fire Department arrived. The subject survived and was released from the hospital.”
For this, Felicien was awarded a Meritorious Lifesaving Award. And, for him, the rewards of his profession outweigh the numerous risks.
“It is definitely scary [as a police officer] because you never know what’s going to happen with everything going on in today’s world. We, as law enforcement, have a target on our backs,” Felicien said. “But I understood all the risks from the moment I joined law enforcement.”
Not long before the gas station incident, Felicien responded to another overdose at the Hyatt hotel in front of the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport.
“Officer Pilar Mahady and I assisted the Sarasota Police Department and administered Narcan to a subject who was not breathing and not conscious,” Felicien said. “We also performed first aid techniques on her, and she was transported to the hospital and survived.”
Since Felicien arrived at the CPD, he has been adjusting to a different policing approach than in the past. Even in a smaller community, there are still challenges to face—from building trust between the police and students to handling the public point of view that has been shaped by the past years’ high-profile incidents regarding policing tactics.
“Currently, I believe the most challenging thing about my job is trying to show students that the Campus Police is here for the students’ safety,” Felicien said. “The most rewarding part of my job is knowing that I made a difference. This can be from saving someone’s life or taking criminal off the road or just making the campus community safer.”
Felicien’s brave mentality and his career path were inspired by his family, he said.
“Both of my parents are retired law enforcement officers from New York City. My mother retired as a captain and my father retired as an officer,” Felicien said. “After listening to my parents’ stories growing up, I knew that I wanted to become a police officer.”
Working for the CPD has encouraged Felicien to consistently improve his craft, and he has attended officer trainings throughout the state. New College has also been an incredibly supportive home for him.
“I like the small department feel and the community policing aspect of law enforcement,” Felicien said. “I look forward to making an impact on as many people in our community as I can. Bridging gaps and receiving support from our community is extremely important to me, and to all of the members of the CPD.”
Felicien is among other members of the CPD—including Officers Danielle Pruner and John Chirgwin—who were honored in June with Meritorious Lifesaving Awards.
For more information on the CPD, call 941-487-4210 or visit ncf.edu/police.
Yasi Bahmanabadi is an intern in the Office of Communications & Marketing.