Nov 13, 2003
MEDIC FIRST AID co-founder Maryl Barker presented Evelyne Tunley-Daymude and Melody Daniell with the inaugural MEDIC FIRST AID Founders Award, capping the October 17 evening reception at Conference 2003, in Portland, Oregon. Tunley-Daymude accepted the award (Daniell was unable to attend the conference) and spoke briefly about her and Daniell's work with the Southcentral Foundation, an Anchorage, Alaska organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of Alaska Natives and American Indians.Before she stepped off the stage, Bill Clendenen, president of MEDIC FIRST AID, surprised Tunley-Daymude with a Philips HeartStart AED, donated to the Southcentral Foundation. In a quick trip back to the microphone, Tunley-Daymude expressed her gratitude for the much needed defibrillator, and later, in an email, noted that "the AED will be placed in the Elders Program facility maintaining our commitment to quality as we strive to provide the best services for the Native community."
As MEDIC FIRST AID Master Trainers, Tunley-Daymude (certified since 1987) and Daniell (1990) have, as Barker said in her presentation speech, have "displayed an enduring commitment to safety education and awareness in the community, dedication to CPR and first aid instruction, and the advancement of the MEDIC FIRST AID ideal."
Tunley-Daymude serves as Southcentral's Development Center manager, and integrating CPR and first aid training into community services is a top priority. She discovered MEDIC FIRST AID Training Programs in the 1980s while working with the Alaska correctional system to provide inmates with CPR and first aid training. Needing "both a skill based approach to pre-hospital care and certification," she turned to MEDIC FIRST AID, which "proved to be an excellent resource," she said.
Since then, she's integrated MEDIC FIRST AID Training Programs into Southcentral's community service work, which includes the recently created Advanced First Aid Team. Part of Southcentral's program for Native/American Indian youth, this mentorship program provides training in MEDIC FIRST AID Basic, BSLPRO™, Bloodborne Pathogens, and AED Supplement. Combined with completion of an emergency trauma technician program, participants then go on to provide basic first aid support at community events throughout the year.
Daniell teaches a range of programs at Southcentral, Basic, AED Supplement, Advanced First Aid, and Bloodborne Pathogens among themshe's even a master instructor for commercial driver license preparation for road testing! MEDIC FIRST AID is a family affair for Daniell; her daughter is a trainer, and her daughter-in-law was trained as an instructor. Daniell also trained her grandchildren and their friends to "prepare them for summer jobs and babysitting."
Of her work at Southcentral, Daniell says "I have trained many first responders who went on to save the lives of loved ones throughout Alaska." She noted that while her initial focus may be on workplace safety, the training resonates far beyond. "These skills have benefited both the organizations and their families."
MEDIC FIRST AID congratulates and extends appreciation to Tunley-Daymude and Daniell for their exemplary representation of the MEDIC FIRST AID ideal, and their commitment to the underserved communities of Alaska. Their example sets the bar high for future nominees. The Founders Award will be presented annually to recognize a MEDIC FIRST AID Facilitator who has demonstrated innovation and originality in the fields of health and safety. To qualify, a nominee must be an active MEDIC FIRST AID Facilitator, with a minimum of ten years training experience. Each nominee should exhibit a solid commitment to CPR and first aid instruction, having made a sustained, significant contribution to the community in which he or she lives.
