VIDEO — Fourth-Grader Recognized for Helping Unconscious Man: ‘It’s Called Caring’

Amy Furr

A fourth-grade student in Macon, Georgia, is getting a lot of attention for staying cool under pressure when someone needed help.

Ja’kayla Hardy was recognized in front of a big crowd during the Rutland High School football game Thursday where she was given an award, WMAZ reported Friday.

“It’s called ‘caring,’ you helping people,” said Hardy, who is a Junior Fire Marshal at Bruce Elementary School.

Aaron Allen, the Junior Fire Marshal instructor, described her as outspoken and lovable.

Hardy’s skills were recently put to the test when she noticed a man who was unconscious laying underneath the bleachers during a football game. She immediately went into first responder mode and notified Coach Jamarcus Johnson about what she found.

Thanks to her skills, the man received prompt medical attention.

“That’s special to us because a 10-year-old girl helped save somebody’s life. We wanted to make sure that she knew that how good of a job and how much we appreciated her for that,” Johnson explained.

On Thursday evening, she received the Hurricane Hero award leaders give to young people who perform positive actions.

“Ja’Kayla Hardy is not just a Jr. Fire Marshall, but she exemplifies what it means to truly be an Eagle Leader. Thank you for your act of service Ja’Kayla and Congratulations on receiving the Hurricane Hero Award,” Bruce Elementary said in a social media post on Friday.
Hardy, who aspires to be a firefighter, offered advice to children who might face a similar situation, stating, “Go find an adult and then go back and make sure he’s OK before an adult gets there.”
The Junior Fire Marshal Program was born in 1947 and has since taught over 112 million children across the country, according to the Hartford.

“A home fire starts every 89 seconds, and children are often among the most vulnerable. We partner with fire departments and educators to provide resources and fire safety education to communities with the greatest need based on our home fire index,” the site read.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.