NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. (WFLA) – A Pasco County family got to meet and thank their hero behind the headset.

“We just feel we were blessed that he was the one that answered that call,” Christy Hupp said. “It was just meant to be.”

The Hupp family from Zephyrhills credits 911 call taker Rob Lippmann with helping save 53-year-old Jeff Hupp during a medical emergency in early November.

During the nearly 10 minute frantic call, Lippmann was calm and composed as he assured the Hupp family that help was on the way.

“And the last thing I remember was I was at my refrigerator and my wife was asking me questions and I could hear her but I couldn’t answer,” Jeff Hupp said.

Lippmann provided Hupp’s brother-in-law Anthony Owen with instructions on how to properly perform CPR.

“When he got on the phone, he’s like stay with me,” Owen said. “He started counting and I was just like two, three, four and everything else blacked out and i could hear his voice.”

Hupp and his family wanted to personally thank Lippmann, so they did just that on Friday morning outside the Pasco EMS communications center.

Lippmann said he’s both honored and humbled by this rare reunion with a family he helped during a critical moment.

“Because of a call like this,” he said, “I think it shows that we truly are the first first responders, the heroes behind the headset if you will or the calm voice in the dark that keeps people going.”

Hupp said this year he had an extra special Thanksgiving.

“I had a lot to thank,” he said, “not only Rob for helping out and EMS system in Pasco. They came and took wonderful care of me when they got there, just everything in perspective now, glad to be living.”

Lippmann said this story is a prime example why Congress should pass the 911 Saves Act. The bill would reclassify 911 call dispatchers as first responders just like police and firefighters.