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United Rescue Volunteer Yves Delphin performed emergency medical services on a man last Friday after he received an emergency call. He is the first volunteer of the newly created United Rescue program to receive a call. Dec. 8, 2015. Jesse Brothers | The Jersey Journal

(Jesse Brothers)

When Yves Delphin, an information technology worker at New Jersey City University, joined Jersey City's new community-based pre-ambulance volunteer medical emergency program, United Rescue, he did it with the memory of a family member in mind.

About 10 years ago, one of Delphin's cousins suffered a heart attack while vacationing in Haiti with his son. No one in the immediate vicinity knew how to properly respond and the heart attack proved to be fatal.

"I realized if his son or someone there knew enough (about emergency medical care) they could've at least given him mouth-to-mouth (resuscitation) or chest compression, and that might've at least kept him going until the ambulance arrived," said Delphin.

"When I heard at NJCU that (United Rescue) was having a training program, I said 'Let me take the class, because you never know.'"

Last Friday, Delphin received and responded to a call about a man on his school's campus who was having respiratory issues. It was the program's first call and response, and thanks Delphin's actions, the man was successfully cared for before an ambulance arrived.

Delphin, who's been with NJCU for 24 years, was working in the basement of Rossey Hall at around 10 a.m when he got the emergency message through the GPS-enabled mobile app United Rescue volunteers use.

"I saw the address (in the message) was 2039 John F. Kennedy Blvd, and then I realized that's NJCU," said Delphin.

The emergency turned out to be on the fifth floor of the building where Delphin works. After speaking with a security guard, Delphin found the man lying down and conscious. Delphin asked the man about his condition and tended to him, including providing oxygen, until Jersey City Medical Center EMTs arrived.

United Rescue, which uses a system where trained community members are dispatched to medical emergencies before the arrival of ambulances based on their location, began operating last month when its first batch of 51 volunteers graduated from its 60-hour training program.

One of the program's goals is to have its volunteers respond to emergencies in under three minutes. Before the implementation of United Rescue, Jersey City had a six minute emergency response time, already one of the fastest in the nation. Delphin says his response took under a minute.

In addition to his own personal experiences, Delphin says his affinity for Jersey City is another reason why he volunteered for United Rescue. Although he lives in Westchester County, N.Y., he says Jersey City has "taken care of him" during the 24 years he's spent working in it.

"I felt I should do something to give back to Jersey City," said Delphin.

Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop sent Delphin a thank you note for his actions on Friday.

"You're one of 51 volunteers pioneering a new way to help their neighbors," said Fulop in the letter. "You're among the first in the country to do this. I want you to know: Your service is appreciated and is an asset to our entire community. Thank you from the bottom of my heart."