Certificate of Merit presented for using Red Cross training skills
STOCKTON, Calif. June 8, 2022 — Earlier this year, Rudy Garrido, Viola Dinkins and Sandra Deaver called on their American Red Cross Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED training to save the life of a woman in distress following a drug overdose. For their heroic and lifesaving actions, Garrido, Dinkins and Deaver received the Red Cross Certificate of Merit in a ceremony on June 7 in Stockton.
The Certificate of Merit is the highest award given by the Red Cross to individuals who save or sustain a life using skills learned in a Red Cross Training Services course.
“We’re extremely proud to present a Certificate of Merit to Rudy, Viola and Sandra,” said Felicia Woolfolk, Red Cross Heart of the Valley Chapter Executive Director. “Their actions exemplify our mission to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies.”
On January 22, these three community members saw a woman in distress due to a drug overdose just outside their workplace, and they jumped into action. Dinkins and Garrido administered three doses of naxolone to the individual in distress, with no positive results. In the meantime, Deaver called 911. The operator directed them to administer another dose. The woman remained unresponsive and Garrido started CPR for about a minute, while someone brought out an AED. As they were preparing to use the AED, the woman in distress resisted and finally responded to this collective lifesaving effort. Paramedics arrived at this time and transported her to the hospital.
The Certificate of Merit, the oldest of the Red Cross Lifesaving Awards, was established in 1911 and evolved in 1928 to provide a more fitting and lasting recognition to a larger circle of nominees. This award is bestowed upon Red Cross trained individuals who have no obligation to respond to an emergency but do so anyway. Throughout the last century, the recipients of this award have been lifeguards, police officers, fire fighters, and everyday community members. The Certificate of Merit has borne the signatures of 17 Presidents of the United States, including the current President, Joseph R. Biden Jr.
Red Cross training gives people the knowledge and skills to act in an emergency and save a life. A variety of online, blended (online and in-person skills session) and classroom courses are available at redcross.org/takeaclass.
If you or someone you know has used skills and knowledge learned in a Red Cross Training Services course to help save or sustain the life of another individual, visit LifesavingAwards.org to nominate, recognize, or be inspired.
About the American Red Cross of the Heart of the Valley
With local offices in San Joaquin, Stanislaus and Merced Counties, the American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, visit our website at redcross.org/hov or call us at (209) 645-1239. You may also find us on Facebook and Twitter.
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