Harrison Fire Chief Rob Hursong and the other members of the UC Health special events team were recognized at the NFL Honors Banquet Feb. 9 and on the field before kickoff of Super Bowl LVII. Hamlin was there to thank the first responders and medical staff who saved his life just six weeks prior.
Original Story Jan. 26, 2023
City of Harrison Fire Chief Rob Hursong was part of the emergency response team at the Cincinnati Bengals vs. Buffalo Bills game January 2 when Bills Safety Damar Hamlin collapsed.
“Everyone on our team had a part in the care that was provided on the field,” Hursong said.
Hursong moonlights for UC Health as a paramedic on the special events team. He and other emergency responders are on the sidelines of University of Cincinnati athletic events as well as area marathons and more. Their work is not always so high-profile.
“It’s been a crazy couple of weeks.”
Hursong’s call log is filled with news reporters, appreciative friends, and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who left a voicemail thanking him for the job he does every day in the community.
Six days following the Hamlin incident, Hursong was back on the field at Paycor Stadium with the other paramedics and doctors preparing for the next game. The team was also recognized for their life-saving work on January 2 for Damar Hamlin. The team was also recognized for their life-saving work at the UC basketball game Jan. 21.
“I think it’s amazing that millions and millions of people were able to find out my dad is a hero… he’s been mine my entire life,” Karlee Hursong wrote in a public Facebook post.
Hursong said training and experience were key in those crucial moments. The lights, the crowd, and the noise had to be ignored.
“We had a job to do,” he said. “I was able to block everything out. Every day firefighters and paramedics across the nation respond to emergency situations that need to be handled and go right back to work.”
The Harrison Fire Department staffs 10 people at two stations each day to provide a high level of firefighting and paramedic services. The department maintains a Class 2 ISO rating.
Super Bowl photo: Harrison Fire Chief Rob Hursong is pictured far left. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)
Harrison Fire Chief Rob Hursong is pictured (third from left) with other paramedics and doctors who aided Damar Hamlin on the field of Paycor Stadium.