911 dispatcher honored for helping save life of retired Chicago firefighter: 'It was a blessing'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- A 911 dispatcher is being honored for helping to save the life of a retired Chicago firefighter.

Amanda Garr took the call for George Ma'Ayteh back in October.

He wasn't breathing, and she quickly instructed the caller to start CPR, guiding the compressions over the phone.

"It makes me want to continue doing a great job. It makes me want to tell everyone else how to do CPR," Garr said. "I want these outcomes all the time. And I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that it happens."

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It was not until Ma'Ayteh recovered from cardiac arrest days later, that Garr and others realized he was one of their own, as an emergency responder.

It turns out Garr's father worked with Ma'Ayteh at the Chicago Fire Department for years.

"It was a blessing that she was on the phone that day. My good friend and coworker over there, Paula, she was the one doing the compressions on me. Without her, none of this is possible," Ma'Ayteh said.

Ma'Ayteh had a heart attack while helping Paula Anast move a piece of furniture.

"She kept the situation where it needed to be to have the result that we got. George is here," Anast said.

Anast had never done CPR before performing it on Ma'Ayteh, and Garr walked her through each step.

"She counted with me over and over and over and over. That's probably what got me through it," Anast said.

Chicago Fire Department Chief Barry Garr said he has great pride in his daughter.

"It's indescribable pride that she had such an effect on an incident and saved the life of another through use of a phone," he said.

Ma'Ayteh said he now has a pacemaker, and won't be moving any furniture soon.