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Teamwork saves Officer Davis

5 people sprang into action when Wildwood Elementary School’s resource officer collapsed, stopped breathing Tuesday morning

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Heather Brown (left) and Tami Totten share their fondness of school resource officer Mike Davis.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Su Burns (left) and school nurse Sally Kash share their experiences in saving the life of Mike Davis, a school resource officer who collapsed Monday, March 8, at Wildwood Elementary in Middletown.

Staff photo by Nick Daggy Su Burns (left) and school nurse Sally Kash share their experiences in saving the life of Mike Davis, a school resource officer who collapsed Monday, March 8, at Wildwood Elementary in Middletown.

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By Rick McCrabb, Columnist 1:12 AM Thursday, March 11, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — When Sally Kash, a registered nurse at Wildwood Elementary School, walked into the cafeteria, a fourth-grade student gave her a thumb’s-up.

“You saved Officer Davis,” the little girl said on Wednesday, March 10.

As it turns out, the girl should have given Kash a high-five.

When Officer Mike Davis, the longtime school resource officer in the Middletown City School District, collapsed and stopped breathing around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 9, five people saved his life.

“It was a team effort,” Kash said while sitting in the school’s library Wednesday afternoon.

With all due respect to the great athletic teams this school district has produced, none can compare to this group: Kash, gym teacher Su Burns, cafeteria manager Heather Brown, teacher’s aide Tami Totten and custodian Ernie Withrow.

For 31 years, Davis, as director of the city’s Safety Town, geared for children entering kindergarten, has protected thousands of students from potential dangers.

When Davis, 61, collapsed near his office, Totten said she initially tried to hide from Davis, figuring he’d be embarrassed.

Then he remained flat on his face.

That’s when Totten yelled “Officer Davis is down” into the office and asked someone, anyone to call 911, Brown grabbed Kash’s medical bag, Withrow turned Davis over, and Kash and Burns began CPR, and later used the school’s Automated External Defibrillation machine.

This probably took less than one minute.

But it felt like an eternity.

As they tried to resuscitate Davis, they realized the 9:45 a.m. bell was about to ring. That meant hundreds of students were about to enter the hallways. They informed the office to keep all the students in class.

“It was dead silent,” Totten said. “It was crazy out here, but at the same time, it was calm. Just talking about it gives me chills.”

Burns said it was the first time in her 38 years she had performed CPR, and Kash, a former emergency room nurse, said it was the first time she used an AED in the field. Kash called reviving Davis “a privilege.”

It wasn’t Davis’ time to die.

Davis was transported to Atrium Medical Center in Middletown, where he was listed in fair condition Wednesday night.

Earlier in the day, Kash said several staff members talked to her about learning CPR or being recertified.

Now, they’re all looking forward to the day Davis returns.

“We want him back,” Totten said.

When that day comes, Davis probably will drop to one knee, remove his hat, and hand out hugs.

One student at a time.

Contact this columnist at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.

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