In mid-October, Michigan DNR Conservation Officer Kyle McQueer received an emergency call dispatched by the Barry County Sheriff’s Office to a residential address on Keller Road in Orangeville Township. The call was regarding a CPR-in-progress situation.

Less than a mile away, McQueer immediately responded and was the first emergency responder to arrive on scene, within minutes of the initial dispatch call.

Upon arrival, McQueer was directed to a detached garage where he located a 64-year-old man unconscious and not breathing. After assessing the situation and confirming there was no pulse or signs of breathing, McQueer activated his department-issued automated external defibrillator and began lifesaving measures.

An AED is a portable, user-friendly device that analyzes the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, delivers an electric shock in an attempt to restore normal heart rhythm during cardiac arrest.

McQueer performed CPR, directing people on scene to assist with equipment, and maintained communication with dispatch regarding the man’s condition.

McQueer continued CPR and AED monitoring until the Orangeville Fire Department arrived, followed shortly by EMS. He assisted firefighters and remained engaged in resuscitation efforts. After several critical moments, responders were able to regain a pulse before transporting the man to Pennock Hospital in Hastings. The man was later transferred to a hospital in Grand Rapids and eventually released.

“Officer McQueer’s quick response and ability to stay calm under pressure and utilize his training were instrumental in giving this man a fighting chance at survival,” said Chief Brandon Kieft, DNR Law Enforcement Division.

McQueer has been a conservation officer since 2017 and is assigned to Barry County.

Michigan conservation officers are fully commissioned law enforcement officers who provide natural resources protection, ensure recreational safety and protect residents through general law enforcement and lifesaving operations in the communities they serve. Learn more at Michigan.gov/ConservationOfficers.

The DNR recognized Jane Gordon, of Charlotte, for more than four decades of dedicated service as a volunteer hunter safety education instructor, honoring her extraordinary commitment to training safe, ethical and responsible hunters across Michigan.

More than 1,200 volunteer instructors are the backbone of Michigan’s recreational safety and education programs – including bow, trapper, marine, snowmobile, off-road vehicle and hunter safety.

These instructors provide invaluable training to Michigan hunters, teaching them about the importance of wildlife management and safe and responsible hunting.

“Jane’s 40 years of service represent the very best of what our volunteer instructors bring to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources,” said Chief Brandon Kieft, DNR Law Enforcement Division. “Her dedication, leadership and passion for teaching have influenced thousands of students and strengthened Michigan’s hunting heritage. We are grateful for her continued commitment to safety, conservation and the future of outdoor recreation.”

Gordon’s passion for hunting dates to 1975, when she completed hunter safety education and began hunting with her father.

In 1986, Gordon became a Michigan DNR conservation officer and a certified hunter safety education instructor. Throughout her career, she taught numerous hunter safety education classes and regularly presented on hunting laws and wildlife identification.

As a volunteer instructor and educator with the DNR’s Becoming an Outdoors Woman program, she taught hunter safety education during summer programs, certifying more than 300 women over 25 years.

Gordon has remained dedicated to hunter safety since retiring from the DNR in 2011. In 2014, she established a hunter safety education program at Rock Lake Christian Assembly in Vestaburg, which remains active today.

Currently, Gordon serves as the lead instructor for a traditional hunter safety education class in Montmorency County. At one of Gordon’s classes, a teenage student enjoyed the experience so much she asked if she could return the following year to take it again.

Gordon’s enthusiasm for hunting, teaching and mentoring and passion for Michigan’s natural resources have influenced generations of hunters.

In 2025, Michigan’s volunteer hunter education instructors trained more than 15,000 people, ensuring a safer, ethical next generation of hunters.

The DNR is accepting applications for volunteer recreational safety education instructors; learn more or apply on the DNR website.