Aug. 14 could have been just another day for Radloff Middle School bus driver Jamario Felder, but it ended up being anything but normal.

It was the day he saved a young girl’s life after she became unconscious on his bus.

“Of all the jobs I’ve had, I’d never seen anything like this,” Felder said. “I don’t think I’ve even seen anyone have a seizure before.”

The Rotary Club of Duluth recently recognized Felder with the Hidden Hero Award outside Radloff Middle. The award highlights a GCPS bus driver who goes above and beyond to help the children they transport every day.

The Rotary Club hands out the award, which comes with a $500 check, annually with help from the GCPS Transportation Department. School system officials go through nominations of various bus drivers who do something outstanding and pick one for the Rotarians to recognize.

“There’s a number of fantastic stories and there can only be one winner unfortunately,” Rotary Club of Duluth President Brad Beisbier said.

Rotary Club of Duluth officials presents the club's Hidden Hero Award to Radloff Middle School bus driver Jamario Felder (center) in December for saving a students life. (Photo Courtesy of Joe Sorenson)

Credit: Joe Sorenson

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Credit: Joe Sorenson

Felder’s story involves a harrowing experience for everyone who was on his bus at the time.

He explained that he heard one student on his bus urging a female classmate to “wake up.” He initially thought the students were playing around but it quickly became apparent this was no game.

The female student was pale and she wasn’t waking up despite her classmate’s urging.

“I looked and the other girl started crying and she was like, ‘Hey, she’s not waking up,’ so in my head, I’m thinking, ‘OK, what do I do?’” Felder, who has been a bus driver for four years and been with GCPS since spring 2023, said.

“The only thing I knew to do was to get on the radio and call it out and give the information I needed to give and just wait for further instructions.”

GCPS dispatchers quickly got Felder in touch with Gwinnett County 911 officials, who called the bus driver on his cell phone and helped him as he performed CPR on the unconscious student.

He continued giving the student CPR until police arrived and took over while Felder evacuated the other students from the bus. The driver also released pressure from the bus’ doors to make sure emergency personnel would be able to get onto the bus without any problems when they arrived.

Radloff Middle School bus driver Jamario Felder wipes tears from his eyes as he receives Rotary Club of Duluth's Hidden Hero Award for saving a students life. (Photo Courtesy of Joe Sorenson)

Credit: Joe Sorenson

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Credit: Joe Sorenson

EMTs then arrived and took over the situation.

“The student was transported to the hospital for further treatment, (but) Jamario Felder’s quick thinking and reliance on his training played a critical role in saving the young lady’s life,” Beisbier said.

Felder’s supervisor, Lynne Walker, said GCPS bus drivers undergo CPR certification training once every three years, and review first aid and emergency protocols once a year so they can be prepared if a situation such as the one Felder faced arises.

Fortunately, Walker said a situation like the one Felder faced does not happen very often, however, she praised the job he did that day.

“This is rare, but he was where he needed to be that day,” Walker said.


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Credit: Gwinnett Daily Post

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Credit: Gwinnett Daily Post

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