Ambulance district gifts New Bloomfield schools with AED

Callaway Ambulance District Director Charlie Anderson, right, presents New Bloomfield School District Superintendent David Tramel and School District Nurse Tima Goodnight with an Automatic External Defibrillator on behalf of the ambulance district. The devices are used to automatically diagnose certain life-threatening heart problems and administer shock if needed.
Callaway Ambulance District Director Charlie Anderson, right, presents New Bloomfield School District Superintendent David Tramel and School District Nurse Tima Goodnight with an Automatic External Defibrillator on behalf of the ambulance district. The devices are used to automatically diagnose certain life-threatening heart problems and administer shock if needed.

When New Bloomfield R-III Schools' nurse approached the Callaway County Ambulance District for suggestions on finding a grant to help fund the purchase of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED), she got something even better: The ambulance district donated one to the district.

"We actually had about five defibrillators we had purchased from a medical supply company that went out of business with the intent of using them to boost our Public Access to Defibrillators program," said CCAD Director Charles Anderson. "(The school district) wrote a Ietter explaining what they wanted to do, I took it to the board, and the board approved donating the AED to the school."

Tima Goodnight, New Bloomfield's school nurse, said she wanted the district to have one of the portable defibrillators because, "I had thought all public places need them, and if we have one here at the school district it could save time in an emergency."

"We have great first responders here, but when you have a situation ... every minute does count," Goodnight said. "I'm so thankful for the opportunity for this."

To help the tornado-stricken people of Dumas and surroundings, donations can be made to the Delta Area Disaster Relief Fund, care of the Delta Area Community Foundation, P.O. Box 894, Dumas, AR, 71639, or through the Arkansas Community Foundation, 700 S. Rock St., Little Rock, AR, 72202.