Phoenix – Azem Shah is the Officer of the Quarter for Blackstone’s District 32 and for good reason. Azem is a stickler for details. Not only does he like to know the layout of his surroundings, but also the personalities and habits of the people who inhabit those surroundings.
It’s this obsession that likely saved the life of a teacher at Azem’s former post at a Phoenix elementary school and most certainly the enduring quality that landed him the designation of Officer of the Quarter. This is a recognition that Azem says he cherishes. “It’s not about salary,” he said. “Life is about getting somewhere. The best way to see that you’re making progress is when you hear compliments that you are doing a good job. That’s when you know you’re making progress.”
One day Azem, whose job was fire watch, noticed a teacher, who taught math and was a coach, behaving out of character. Instead of watching the students closely, he sat away from them. “I paid attention not just to fire alarms, but also to teachers and students,” Azem said. “I was able to get an image of the teacher’s personality.”
Azem said he thought the teacher’s behavior was odd and approached him. “He was sweating and dizzy,” Azem said. “That’s when I knew something was wrong. In my CPR class we learned to recognize strokes and heart attacks.”
The teacher was having a heart attack so Azem called to other staff members and made them aware of what was happening. “A couple staff members provided shade for him while I called for an ambulance.”
The bottom line is the teacher survived the ordeal. “His wife thanked me and I received a compliment from the principal,” Azem said. “When he recovered he came by and thanked me also.”
Ken Vandiver, director of operations for Division 32, said Azem acted on his instincts during the crisis and made the right moves by notifying school officials and calling 911. Vandiver said Azem’s actions “quite frankly” saved the teacher’s life. “Standing by the teacher, he controlled the scene until emergency responders arrived,” Vandiver said. “Not only is Azem a role model for security guards, he is a life saver as well.”