12/18/2025
Right place at the right time.
This past Wednesday afternoon, ESD Safety and Security Specialist Pete Tasei, who is normally positioned at Elizabeth High School, was filling in at Running Creek Elementary. Dismissal had just started and Kindergarteners were being let out to catch their buses and meet their parents out front.
Tasei was in the lobby when all of the sudden, a panicked father came running in with his Kindergartner, who was choking on a piece of candy. His son had a hard candy in his mouth at the time and while playing outside, it became lodged in his throat, completely obstructing his airway.
Tasei knew exactly what to do and he did it without any hesitation. He flipped the child over and did a series of back blows. The student’s lips were turning blue and he was clearly scared. Tasei could tell he was struggling and not breathing right. The student was still grabbing his throat, so in a matter of seconds, Tasei did another series of back blows. That still didn’t work, so Tasei then did abdominal thrusts on him, a form of Heimlich Maneuver.
All of the sudden, the boy made a sound and said, “It feels like it’s still stuck in there.”
As soon as he was able to talk, Tasei stopped, because he knew the candy had finally changed position enough to allow the boy to breathe and talk. Tasei says no candy ever fell out, but he was relieved that the boy could breathe. Tasei and the boy’s father took him to the health office and that’s where rescue crews arrived to care for the student from there. He was taken to the hospital and is now doing well.
Tasei is no stranger to life-saving efforts. He has received numerous awards over the years for similar acts during his career in law enforcement. Prior to joining the team at Elizabeth School District, Tasei spent 24 years with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, spending most of his time as a patrol officer before being promoted to Sergeant.
“I’ve done this for so long, it just becomes second nature at this point,” Tasei says. “To me, I just did my job. That’s what the school district hired us to do is to be there to respond to an emergency and if it happens, to deal with it. That’s why I’m here. I’m not here as a teacher. I don’t have a teaching certificate. You know, I talk to my kids whether they’re little ones or high school kids and I give them direction or advice if they ask me a question, I try to help them to the best of my abilities. I’m not a counselor, I’n not a teacher, but if they come to me and confide in me as a trusted adult, then I kind of feel like it’s my job to help them whether it’s that way or, God forbid, one of the darkest days comes through the doors of one of these buildings. That’s what I’m here for.”
Tasei pointed out that recently, the ESD Safety and Security team took part in CPR refresher training with the Elizabeth Police Department, which included a portion dedicated to life-saving efforts and maneuvers when dealing with children.
Thank you to Pete Tasei for your quick reaction that day and for being at the right place at the right time!
