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Bellbrook honors dispatchers, officers and firefighters after January cardiac arrest
Summary
Council recognized dispatch, police and fire personnel whose coordinated January response helped a resident survive a cardiac arrest; the patient, David Newton, thanked responders and staff outlined the medical timeline and lifesaving interventions.
The Bellbrook City Council formally recognized a team of dispatchers, police officers and firefighters for saving a resident’s life after a January 8 cardiac arrest.
Joe Burdick, EMS coordinator at Miami Valley South for Premier Health, told council that a bystander found the person unresponsive and called 911, and Greene County dispatcher Tara Melvin provided life‑saving instructions that were relayed to first responders. "About that time, family came out of the house and CPR was started," Burdick said, and he credited Bellbrook officers Tony Ruble and Dakota Cox for arriving quickly and using an AED. He said EMS used a Lucas device for mechanical compressions and that from dispatch to hospital arrival the total time was 23 minutes. "Mister Newton did go to the cath lab at the hospital soon after he arrived there. A stent was placed into his left anterior descending artery to reopen it," Burdick added.
The patient, David Newton, addressed the council and thanked responders: "If it wasn't for you guys, I wouldn't be here right now," he said. Mayor Schweller and council members also praised the coordinated response and noted the role of recently approved safety staffing in enabling rapid care.
Council recessed briefly to present accommodation awards to officers, firefighters and dispatchers; recipients were invited to a brief reception downstairs. The city said it will continue to recognize first responders publicly and thanked the community for supporting safety funding.
