This past February a medical emergency occurred outside the residence of a Dexter citizen requiring a response from trained responders. Unfortunately, for a variety of reasons, no certified First Responders were available to assist the family for some twenty minutes. Neighbors did try to assist and are worthy of praise for their effort.
In a meeting with Mr. David Cooper, manager of the Stoddard County Ambulance District, he stated his office would be willing to work with the city's police and fire departments to train their staff and secure equipment needed to respond effectively to medical emergencies in Dexter, until such time that Stoddard County Ambulance personnel could arrive. In March, conversation occurred with the Dexter City Council to discuss the need to provide additional First Responders with the training and equipment in an effort to make sure this type of situation would not happen again.
Over the past few months, additional conversations with Mayor Banken, Mr. Cooper, Fire Chief Seymore and Police Chief Pulley have been productive and will ultimately lead to improved ability to respond to Dexter citizens having a medical emergency. The Dexter City Council, these leaders and their staffs are deserving of commendation for proactively working together to address this need and better serve the citizens of Dexter.
-- Ken Jackson