Seminole County Sheriff's Office deputies were recognized for their life-saving skills, which has increasingly become more a part of their jobs.

• Deputy Sheriff Matthew Moon saved a man suffering from opioid overdose
• 10 others from the Sheriff's Office were recognized

Seminole County Deputy Sheriff Matthew Moon recently responded to a man in medical distress and he found himself there before the fire department or paramedics.

"He was out on his back deck and had collapsed and his friends called in," said Moon. "And he was turning blue, you could literally see his lips and face were starting to turn blue and he was very low respiratory -- almost no pulse."

Moon administered Narcan to the man, who was suffering from an opioid overdose. He saved the man's life.

"It just comes down to every life's important, every life's important, so we're going to do everything we can in the field to save that person's life," said Moon. "You never want to see somebody to lose their family member right in front of them, and to be able to -- within just a few minutes -- bring them back."

Moon was one of dozens of Seminole County deputies and other Sheriff's Office personnel awarded Thursday night for their contributions to the agency.

He was one of 11 deputies who, in just the last six months, have saved the life of someone who was overdosing on opioids. 

As the problem grows, first responders everywhere are becoming the last chance for survival for so many people.

"To be able to stand up there with 10 other deputies, that's 11 lives that have been saved in our community; 11 families that don't have to go through that mourning, the loss of that," reflected Moon.

It is not Moon's first time accepting an award for saving a life in his five years as a Seminole County Deputy Sheriff. 

He once helped a grandmother stuck in Interstate 4 gridlock while having a heart attack. The woman was visiting Central Florida from out of town. She also survived.

"Everyday, we get to have any impact, whether it's impact with a kid, changing the direction of someone's life or having the ability to one way or another save somebody's life. That's the whole reason why we do this," said Moon.

The Seminole County Sheriff's Office handed out dozens of awards to members of the agency and community members who have made an impact in the last six months.