BOLD school staffers respond to co-worker’s health crisis

OLIVIA - The BOLD schools and communities are “pretty shook up” after a staff member at the Olivia school suffered a significant health issue Thursday, but are also proud of the swift and sure response by the man’s co-workers and by medical responders, according to the superintendent of the BOLD district.
“Everyone is praying and hoping for the best,” BOLD Superintendent John Dotson said Friday, about the man’s health situation. He also noted that the district was respecting the employee’s privacy and not releasing his name. “We hope for the best for this teacher and his family.”
Dotson called the situation a “very serious health” issue and said that the man was transferred on to St. Cloud Hospital.
The superintendent also said he was very proud of the quick response of staff members, including High School Principal Brian Gauer, social worker Tom Kroes, special education teacher Dan Gross, custodian Brent Dahl and activities director Melissa Sagedahl, who came to the man’s rescue and tended to his needs until emergency responders arrived at the school. The responders also kept students in their classrooms during the incident.
The staff members responded as they were trained, Dotson said. “That’s why we do those trainings,” he said. “I’m very proud of the actions of our staff.”
Sagedahl noted that all of the district’s coaches have training each fall before activities start for the year on the use of artificial defibrillators, also known as AEDs, and in first aid. That training was used in the staff’s response to their co-worker’s needs, she said.
“Everything we were trained in was applied in those few minutes,” she said, noting that the response team’s actions were “incredible.”
Recalling the incident a day later, Sagedahl said she was getting chills just talking about the response.
“People responded with such confidence,” she said. “(They) were in the right place at the right time and took action. We are blessed by that.”