Gwinnett County Fire Crew Named Piedmont Eastside’s First Friday Heroes for Saving Teen’s Life

Snellville, Ga. (Feb 4., 2025) – Piedmont Eastside Medical Center named Firefighter/EMT Ethan Banan, Firefighter/Paramedic Joshua Chupp, Driver Engineer/EMT Jacob Olds, Firefighter/EMT Rusty Parker, and Firefighter Lieutenant/Paramedic Charlie Rolader with Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services as the organization’s First Friday Heroes for February.

 

On Sept. 4, 2025, Engine 12 and Medic 8 A-Shift crew were dispatched to a 17-year-old patient, Elias Roberts, of Snellville. Elias had experienced cardiac arrest and stopped breathing. Banan, Olds, and Rolader (Engine 12) arrived at the scene and found Elias’s mother performing CPR. The crew immediately took over resuscitation efforts, initiating Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) protocols. They delivered two defibrillations and continued lifesaving measures for approximately eight minutes.

 

When Chupp and Parker (Medic 8) arrived, they helped load Elias onto a stretcher and transported him to Piedmont Eastside. Elias was treated and stabilized at Piedmont Eastside and soon transferred by helicopter to another hospital. Thanks to the rapid and coordinated response, Elias survived and was discharged after a two-week stay. He is now a senior at South Gwinnett High School and expects to graduate in May.

 

Piedmont Eastside celebrated the crew’s lifesaving efforts during a ceremony on Wednesday, Dec. 4.

 

Neha Verma, D.O., Assistant Medical Director of Piedmont Eastside’s Emergency Department and Associate Medical Director of Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Service, presented the crew with certificates of appreciation.

 

“February is American Heart Month,” said Dr. Verma. “More than 350,000 people in the U.S, including 23,000 children, experience cardiac arrest outside of the hospital each year. We are lucky to have these brave first responders who can help patients when time is of the essence.”

 

Dr. Verma also acknowledged support from Gwinnett County Police Department, whose officers respond to all cardiac arrests with Gwinnett Fire units. Their assistance allowed the crew to focus on Elias’s care and quickly transport him to the hospital. Officers also supported the family and helped Elias’s mother, Cherone Millbrooks, into the ambulance.

 

Elias and his family attended the ceremony and expressed gratitude for the crew’s quick response.

 

“My family and I are grateful to these responders for their quick and compassionate care,” said Millbrooks. “As a nurse, I am also thankful I was there to perform CPR. I believe it’s important for everyone to have basic life support skills and I encourage community members to get CPR training.”

 

In honor of American Heart Month, Piedmont Eastside staff are teaching hands-only CPR at Run the Reagan on Saturday, Feb. 21. Visit the Piedmont Eastside tent for details.

 

Piedmont Eastside created the First Friday Hero program to recognize first responders and everyday heroes who have gone above and beyond the call of duty. If you’d like to nominate a first responder to be a First Friday Hero, please submit a nomination to firstfridayheroeastside@piedmont.org. Nominations should include:

 

• Your name and contact information
• Nominee’s name, employer, and employer’s contact information
• Brief summary of why the nominee should be recognized as a First Friday Hero