8-year veteran Farrell recognized at council meeting

An Elgin police officer earned an award for saving a woman's life by performing the Heimlich maneuver.

Officer Heather Farrell was recognized Wednesday night at the Elgin City Council meeting - where a large crowd of police officers gathered to honor her - after she rescued the woman in distress at a lunch event held at Senior Services Associates in August.

The events unfolded in less than a minute, Farrell said.

"She approached me and tapped me on the shoulder, and made the universal 'choking' sign," Farrell said. "I spun her around and started doing the Heimlich. Then I did it again and it worked."

Farrell, an eight-year veteran of the police department, credited ongoing training for her quick reaction.

"It's something we train really hard on, and it pays off in a time of need," she said.

Police Sgt. Rick Santiago, who was Farrell's training officer, praised her conduct."I've never seen any negativity out of you," he said.

Farrell is a member of Elgin's resident officer program, through which police officers live in the communities they police.

This is her first lifesaving award. She also was recognized in 2008 for her actions as part of a team that responded to a fire.