Hero: A person of distinguished courage or ability, admired for courage or noble qualities.

It is a good person who stops to help another without thought of reward, recognition or personal cost. There is no moment of hesitation to consider such matters, just the clear certainty that you can and will help. This is the mindset of our own Joe Bushey – Choate Superintendent, father of three, grandfather of six, great grandfather of one (!), and local hero.

Nearly a year ago in the City of Garner, a man began to choke while driving his car. He lost control of his vehicle and drove through an intersection. A woman was chasing the out-of-control car as it swerved into a ditch. In response to seeing this, Joe stopped his own vehicle when many others kept driving by the scene. He raced to the car to see if he could help the now purple-faced driver, without thought of how or why. He then stayed to assist the first responder police officer in pulling the man out of the vehicle, clearing the driver’s airway and resuscitating him.

If you met Joe in the office the next day, you wouldn’t have heard of his involvement in the rescue. It was not until the Garner Police Department invited him to a banquet a year later to receive an award that he even mentioned it to a co-worker.

On May 13th, Joe received the Civilian Commendation by the Garner Police Department. When asked what he thought of the recognition, he simply replied, “You have to help your fellow man.” He stressed the importance of the CPR/First Aid training Choate requires. “Sometimes you don’t think it’s sinking in after watching all the videos and such, but when you are in the situation, you realized it did,” he jokes.

We are glad he shared his story and honored to work beside a man of both courage and ability.