by Dennis Dalman
Seven people received “Life Saving Awards” from Sartell Police Chief Brandon Silgjord at the Sept. 9 Sartell City Council meeting.
A Sartell K-9 police officer, Kari Bonfield, was also honored with a “Chief’s Commendation Award.”
They were all involved in helping save the life of a Sartell man who had suffered a heart attack on March 28 of this year. On that date, Stephen Pareja lost consciousness and suddenly collapsed to the floor in his house. Alarmed, his wife Donna dialed 911, then tried to resuscitate him using the CPR technique.
Police officers soon arrived and worked quickly to save the man’s life, using chest compressions, an oxygen mask and two shocks from an AED (automatic electric defibrillator). To everyone’s relief, Pareja’s pulse could be detected.
Meantime, Mayo Ambulance paramedics arrived and monitored Pareja all the way to the St. Cloud Hospital. It took four weeks of hospitalization before he was well enough to return home.
“Without Donna’s quick thinking and ability to start CPR until officers arrived in addition to the teamwork of everyone involved Stephen would likely not be alive today,” said Chief Silgjord before handing out the award.
Those honored with awards are Donna Pareja; Sartell police officers Logan Eck, Derek Whitehead and Emma Brown; and paramedics Nickole Wells, Jeffrey Fingarson and James Blumenshein.
Bonfield
Kari Bonfield was honored for her trailblazing work as a K-9 officer with her therapy police dog, Kimber.
Chief Silgjord presented her with a “Chief’s Commendation Award” for her (and Kimber’s) work locally. Bonfield and police Capt. Kelly Mader are widely influential in helping therapy-dog programs throughout the state. Silgjord noted they practically wrote the playbook on how to implement, improve and perfect therapy-dog units.
Silgjord added Bonfield will soon be honored with an innovation award from a local organization.
