By Nelson A. King From Caribbean Life

Brooklyn Borough President Eric L. Adams has paid tribute to Sgt. Michael Dario and Officer Elias Khan of the New York City Police Department’s 62nd Precinct by proclaiming them September’s “Heroes of the Month” for saving the life of a choking infant in Bensonhurst on Aug. 24.

Adams, joined by Cpt. William Taylor, commanding officer of the 62nd Precinct, as well as the mother of the choking infant, Christine Maresca, praised the officers for quickly responding to the emergency and for performing CPR to revive the infant until EMS responders arrived to the scene.

“This event is a way to acknowledge Brooklyn heroes and everyday Brooklynites who do something special that usually goes under the radar of the daily news cycle,” said Adams at a ceremony at Brooklyn Borough Hall, describing the significance of the “Heroes of the Month” and the valiant acts of the officers receiving the award.

“As a former police officer, I can’t tell you how many times that calls of this magnitude do not result in such a fortunate outcome as the call answered by Sgt. Dario and Officer Khan,” he added. “So we cannot thank them enough for saving the life of a choking infant.”

Adams also used the event to highlight the importance of CPR certification and training by the City’s public safety officers.

“CPR is more than ‘courtesy, professionalism, and respect,” he said. “It is a way to ensure that officers can save the lives of individuals, and it is also important that we push for all City employees to be CPR certified.”

Taylor said the officers’ “daily handling of their jobs, the way they’ve interacted with the community and ways that they’ve carried themselves in the time that they’ve been (in the 62nd precinct) is just fantastic,” adding that “they both have great careers ahead of them.”

The “Heroes of the Month” designees received honorary citations from Adams’ office for their actions.

Adams said plans are in place to commemorate their honor in the rotunda of Brooklyn Borough Hall.

The event was the second “Heroes of the Month” ceremony in which Adams and his staff acknowledge and commend the achievements of Brooklynites from a variety of backgrounds throughout the year.

For more on this story go to: http://www.caribbeanlifenews.com/stories/2014/9/2014-09-16-nk-police_heroes_2014_9.html

IMAGE: newyork.cbslocal.com