Left, William Coffee addresses a gathering of first responders, dispatchers, family and more, expressing his thanks for the work each did in helping to save his life in May. Right: Coffee poses with his family and some of those involved in helping him after he went into cardiac arrest. The call was the first instance of emergency medical dispatch used in Archuleta County, where dispatchers give bystanders directions on how to begin medical care while waiting for emergency personnel. Coffee became part of the 9 percent of people who survive the type of cardiac arrest he experienced.
SUN photos/Randi Pierce
