Storm Lake police honor civilian for CPR that saved co-worker's life

A few minutes of calm, trained action at a Storm Lake radio station became the reason a co-worker survived. During Police Week on Thursday, May 15, 2026, the Storm Lake Police Department presented Office Manager Kirk Langner with its Lifesaving Medal for the CPR he gave after Megan Molseed collapsed at work.

Police Chief Chris Cole handed Langner the medal at his desk inside Storm Lake Radio and read from the official citation, a reminder that the department reserved the recognition for rare cases where a civilian’s response directly helped save a life. Cole said the Lifesaving Medal has existed for decades, but civilians rarely receive it.

The medical emergency unfolded on Dec. 11, 2025, when Storm Lake Radio Account Executive Megan Molseed went into sudden cardiac arrest at the station. Co-workers called for help right away, and Langner, who is a certified EMT, immediately began CPR and continued until officers arrived. In a crisis measured in seconds and minutes, that bridge between collapse and professional care was the critical one.

Molseed later said doctors told her she would not be here without the quick thinking of others and Langner’s CPR. She was treated at Sanford Medical Center after collapsing at the station. The episode underscored why emergency training matters in ordinary workplaces: sudden cardiac arrest is a race against time, and early CPR can determine whether a patient makes it to the hospital at all.

That is why the recognition carried weight beyond one station or one employee. The Storm Lake Police Department says it provides 24-hour law enforcement services and, according to the city, includes 20 sworn officers, one civilian staff member, two volunteer chaplains and a volunteer physician who serves as tactical team medic. The department’s public awards also reflect a broader message that public safety is not limited to patrols and arrests, but also includes preparedness, gratitude and community support.

National health organizations back up that urgency. The American Heart Association says immediate bystander CPR can double or triple the chance of survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, while the Red Cross says survival chances fall by about 10% for every minute CPR and AED use are delayed. In Storm Lake, that gap was filled by one coworker who knew what to do and did it without hesitation.