City tells cop saving life not 'related' to his job

A Connecticut police officer who tried in
vain to save the life of a dying 10-year-old boy -- only to be notified
by city officials that his heroic effort was not part of his job -- met
Friday with city officials who promised to clarify the notice,
FoxNews.com has learned.


New Britain
Police Officer Frank Barbagiovanni met with Mayor Tim O'Brien after
local media reported on the notice the officer received from city
attorneys in connection to a Nov. 11 incident in Barbagiovanni tried to
revive the boy, who later died at an area hospital.
The notice, Barbagiovanni said, indicated
that the incident was not "causally related to a work-related condition"
and that city officials would contest workers compensation if he
applied for it.


Phil Sherwood, O'Brien's communications
director, told FoxNews.com that said city officials are now in the
process of crafting a response to Barbagiovanni that will justify the
"legal rationale" as to why the initial notice indicated that rescue
efforts weren't part of his job, though it remains unclear how the city
would rule on a potential workers compensation claim.


Barbagiovanni replied to the initial notice
in December -- a three-page response that also went to O'Brien, his
police union and Chief William Gagliardi -- and had not received a
response until local media outlets began reporting on the matter.
"I never got word from anybody,"
Barbagiovanni told FoxNews.com on Friday. "Nothing -- now all of sudden
they wanted to meet with me today."


Barbagiovanni, 33, said O'Brien personally
apologized to him and that he regretted the delay on behalf of city
attorneys. The married, six-year veteran of the department said he's now
waiting for a second notice to clarify that he'd be covered if he
contracts any communicable diseases after being exposed to vomit during
efforts to resuscitate the boy.


"It's still unresolved," he said. "But I
feel the same way as I did when I first started [the job]. You do get to
help people out, and I like that. But now I'm a little nervous about
whether the people in City Hall are going to back me up or back anybody
else up. It just gets you a little nervous."


Barbagiovanni continued: "Now that people
know about it, I feel they're going to do the right thing and squash it.
That's all I've been asking for -- cover me if, God forbid, something
happens in the future."


Barbagiovanni has not claimed any medical
benefits, and blood tests have indicated he is in good health. Another
blood test will be given in three months, he said.


Sherwood told FoxNews.com following the
30-minute meeting that Barbagiovanni should be recognized for being a
"quintessential" public servant.


"It's not city policy and it's not going to
be city policy that CPR is not part of a police officer's duties,"
Sherwood said. "What should have happened and didn't happen is that the
officer asked for a response (from the city) and didn't get one."


Sherwood said Barbagiovanni did "everything
appropriate" and acted courageously when he tried to revive the boy
until responding paramedics took over.


"We're sorry that he's essentially been
traumatized for a second time," he said. "Not getting a simple response
back from bureaucrats is not how the city wants to conduct itself."


Barbagiovanni, for his part, said he would
not hesitate to attempt to saving another person's life despite the
"stress" of the entire ordeal.


"Otherwise, I'd work another job," he said.
"A human wouldn't let another human sit down on the floor and die. I'd
definitely do it again. You expect the city to back you up, that's why
you take chances."
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