23 Apr 2018 Special gift: Conway Regional helps local first responders

Sometimes the simple gifts are the best of all.

“It was a wonderful and simple donation,” said Adam Bledsoe, public information officer for the Faulkner County Sheriff’s Office. “Water is the gift that keeps on giving. Hydration is crucial, and we are thankful.”

A gift of water became a healthy and refreshing expression of gratitude to Faulkner County’s first responders after Conway Regional Health System recently donated 224 cases. 

Conway Regional Health System representatives Lori Ross, Michael Henry, Amanda Irby, Meg Prince and Matt Troup with members of the Conway Fire Department: Engineer Jay Mattox, Engineer Clay Hartness, Assistant Chief Todd Cardin, Captain Stewart Wilcox, Firefighter Cody Rainey, Captain Michael Cullum and Captain Steve Ashcraft.

The Conway Fire Department, Conway Police Department, MEMS and the Faulkner County Sherriff’s Department each received 1,344 bottles of water. The first responders are providing the water to employees and the public as needed.

The gift made sense to Matt Troup, Conway Regional’s president and CEO.

“We started out donating water as a way to help Conway High School raise funds for school projects, and it grew to include all the high schools in Faulkner County. It just makes sense to extend our donations to the first responders who are so vital in saving lives in our community,” said Troup. “This is another way we can assist our first responders by providing them with much needed hydration year-round.” 

Troup was joined by the Conway Regional Emergency Department’s Amanda Irby, Meg Prince and Michael Henry, along with Lori Ross, Conway Regional’s chief development officer, in a visit to personally deliver to and thank all four organizations that received the water. The first responders were appreciative.

“We use it for a lot of different purposes,” said Bledsoe. “We don’t have a sink or water fountain in the office, so we rely on bottled water. We use it at saturation training events that can last up to 10 hours.” 

Bledsoe noted that SWAT officers, in particular, can easily become dehydrated during training and incidents because they are carrying 100 extra pounds of gear. The water can also come in handy during extended negotiations with suspects.

In addition to crisis situations, LaTresha Woodruff, public information officer for the Conway Police Department, noted that the CPD water will be used to stock the department’s patrol cars and gymnasium. “We use it to hydrate our officers during the summer months. We encourage them to drink water when they are on the streets serving the people of Conway, and this donation helps us to do that. We also have a gym where we encourage officers to exercise, and they also use the water there.

“This is really not a simple gift; you can imagine what it is like for our officers out in the streets in 95- and 100-degree heat. We are very appreciative of this gift.”

The officers also keep water in their vehicles for instances when they encounter pedestrians in need of hydration.

Assistant Fire Chief Todd Cardin also expects the water to be useful as temperatures rise.

“The water will be used this summer during training and to rehab our firefighters during fires. It will also be available for participants at the many classes we host throughout the year,” said Cardin. “On behalf of the Conway Fire Department, I would like to thank Conway Regional Health System for this donation.”

Clay Branham, a MEMS supervisor of operations, said the water donation is being used to stock the six ambulances that cover Faulkner County. The MEMS staff keeps the water in ice chests for rehydration purposes while responding to extended emergency situations.

“We share with anyone who needs water,” said Branham. “It was a very nice gesture by Conway Regional, and we really appreciate it.”

John Patton