A former security guard said she never feared for her safety as she and a trio of Good Samaritans fought to save the life of a man dying of a heart attack in a downtown apartment lobby during a 35-minute wait for paramedics.

The inquest into the death of James Hearst has heard that paramedics “staged” — or waited half a block away on June 25, 2009 until they had police backup — because of fears for their safety.

On Friday, inquest counsel Stefania Fericean asked Sonia Jorne, who was present at the time as a security guard, if she had similar safety concerns.

“No,” Jorne replied.

She testified at the inquest, under Dr. Albert Lauwers, that she spoke twice with 911 dispatchers, trying to get paramedics to show up.

Jorne said she became frantic as Hearst’s condition declined, until he finally stopped moving.

“Why were you panicking?” Fericean asked.

“Because Mr. Hearst kept getting worse,” she replied.

As they struggled to keep Hearst alive, an ambulance crew stood parked nearby for more than 20 minutes, waiting for a police escort.

About 20 minutes after Jorne arrived, an ambulance dispatcher tried to give her instructions on how to treat Hearst.

“I don’t think you guys are listening,” Jorne replied, obviously frustrated. “That’s what we’ve been doing for the past 10 minutes ... ”

“I’ve updated the ambulance crew,” the dispatcher replied.

When she first arrived in the lobby, Hearst was moving and trying to speak, Jorne said. “(He was) trying to move his mouth but it was nothing that I could understand.”

“Was there ever any meaningful response?” Fericean asked.

“No,” Jorne said.

She said he turned a brighter shade of blue and then stopped moving as they waited for paramedics, who finally arrived at 11.39 p.m., a minute after two fire trucks appeared.

Jorne had called her security firm’s dispatcher and was patched over to Emergency Medical Services moments after she arrived at Hearst’s side. “I’m a little bit worried,” she told the 911 dispatcher in the original call. “The guy is turning blue.”

“He’s turning blue?” the dispatcher asked.

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“Yeah ... he’s still breathing but blood is coming out of his nose,” Jorne replied. “It’s pretty bad.”

There was a strike by ambulance dispatchers and paramedics at the time of Hearst’s death, meaning staffing was held at the legally required 75 per cent of normal and some managers were filling in for unionized workers.

The inquest continues.