Deputies Receive Live-Saving Award

DEPUTIES RECEIVE LIFE SAVING AWARD

Whitfield County, Ga – On Monday, February 12th, Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office deputies were honored with the Life Saving Award during the Board of Commissioners monthly meeting for their heroic acts in December 2023.

Sergeant Shawn Giles, with Deputies Jeff Shields and Mark Greene, in the Court Services Division, were assigned to the courtroom where Superior Court Judge Bert Poston was conducting a hearing and suddenly collapsed.

Sgt. Giles jumped over the judge’s bench to his aid, where he and Deputies Shields and Greene carried him to a private hallway to immediately begin CPR. They were able to get Judge Poston breathing again and he began showing signs of responsiveness. “The main thing we needed to do is get him breathing again,” said Sgt. Giles. “We were very calm as things were moving rapidly, but this is what we’re trained to do and it’s what we did.” Giles commended the Court Services team and the way they perfectly handled the emergency to provide aid to Judge Poston. “Everybody did what they were supposed to do, from the most major to the most minor job, it was teamwork.”

EMTs arrived on scene to transport Judge Poston to Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) where he was evaluated and airlifted to Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Medical professionals with HMC and the Memorial Hospital both reported if it weren’t for the heroic acts of the deputies, that Judge Poston would not have made it. Their quick action and professional training lead to saving his life. “It was quite impressive the way they handled the situation,” said Sheriff Scott Chitwood. “It doesn’t happen every day but on this particular day, it happened perfectly.”

Judge Poston’s family reported that he has been moved to a rehab facility and is recovering very well.

The collective efforts of the Whitfield County Court Services Division emphasizes the importance of training, teamwork, and the invaluable commitment to protecting and serving the community.