Alan and Carolyn McCutcheon would tell you they did nothing more than what many others would do — help a fellow human in need.

Freddie C. Fuller II would tell you they helped save his father’s life.

The McCutcheons and Fuller are right in their own ways.

The McCutcheons were recognized by Washington officials Monday night during the City Council’s meeting for their life-saving efforts in Greenville last Thursday night after leaving an East Carolina University football game. Alan McCutcheon is a firefighter/EMT-intermediate with city’s fire-rescue-EMS department. His wife is an EMT-intermediate, too, but not with the city.

“Alan and Carolyn McCutcheon did something that, in my mind, everybody should do — and that’s stop and help someone,” said Stacy Drakeford, the city’s director of police and fire-rescue-EMS, during the recognition ceremony. “These are the kind of people that we love having work for the city.”

Fuller, who attended the ceremony, hugged the McCutcheons and thanked them for helping save his father’s life. The elder Fuller is recovering at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville, the younger Fuller said.

“Words cannot express what you have done for this family,” the younger Fuller said. “Thank God, you were there to save my father. You guys were the angels there on the scene. … My Dad is looking forward to the day when he gets a chance to thank you personally.”

The McCutcheons’ efforts were brought to the attention of Washington officials by Chad Edwards, a master patrol officer with the ECU Police Department in a letter he wrote to Robbie Rose, chief of the city’s Fire-Rescue-EMS Department. Edwards wrote: “I just wanted to extend a huge thank you to Washington FF/EMT-I Alan McCutcheon. As he and his wife were leaving the ECU football game on 12/04/14 they came upon the scene of a motor vehicle crash that had just occurred on Charles Blvd. One of the drivers was unresponsive in the roadway and Greenville Fire-Rescue had an extended response time due to heavy game day traffic. Mr. McCutcheon assisted other medical personnel by starting chest compressions. He remained on the scene until the incident was under adequate control.”

As EMTs, the McCutcheons have a responsibility to render medical assistance when they come upon such situations if no one else is able to do so. But the McCutcheons responded to a higher responsibility — the need for people to help others in need.

A man is alive because they are responsible and compassionate folks.

And that’s the Christmas spirit in action.