Kocotos and his family were having lunch when he overheard a mom ask her 4-year-old daughter if she was choking. Within seconds, the mom was screaming, the child was choking, and Kocotos vaulted over the rail to help. He quickly obtained permission from the mom to assist her child, and began giving back blows. By the second blow, the frankfurter the child was choking on came flying out, and she was able to breathe normally. When asked what he did next, Kocotos smiled and said he walked back to his table and ordered a cherry coke. For Kocotos, he was simply responding in the same way that he teaches others to respond. For the mother and her young daughter, a catastrophe had been averted.

Kocotos is well aware of the importance of Red Cross CPR/First Aid certification.

"These skills are vital to have. Even if you never get a chance to use them, it is great knowing you will be prepared if it ever happens to a family member, close friend, or a complete stranger," Kocotos stated in a release to The Times.

In fact, trained CPR responders are more likely to save a loved one than someone they do not know.

The Montclair-Glen Ridge-Nutley chapter wants to remind members of the community that Adult, Infant, and Child CPR/AED and First Aid classes are offered monthly at both the Montclair and Nutley locations.

For more information on classes offered, call the Montclair office at 973-746-1800, or the Nutley office at 973-667-3818.