Boyd Gaming security officers receive praise and awards for saving lives
Vinton, La April 23 2021
Boyd Gaming security officers at Delta Downs Racetrack Casino Hotel in Vinton, La. and Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall in Las Vegas were each recognized for their heroic efforts to help save lives over the last few months.
In November 2020, a guest at Delta Downs collapsed in the hotel lobby and needed urgent medical care.
Security Officer Paul Bingham was nearby when he received a call to help and immediately began administering CPR on the guest, who was experiencing cardiac arrest. While waiting for paramedics to arrive, Security Officers Ken Sims and Lee Walker quickly sprang into action to help save the guest alongside Bingham.
Together, the officers were able to restore the guest’s heartbeat by performing CPR and using an automated external defibrillator (AED), a device that delivers shocks to the heart to restore a normal rhythm. Soon after, the paramedics arrived and took the guest to the hospital.
Thanks to Bingham, Sims and Walker’s ability to provide critical help before paramedics arrived, the guest made a full recovery.
‘We were in the right place at the right time,’ said Bingham, who has worked at Delta Downs for nearly five years. ‘I’ve been training for emergencies like this since 1989. I’m glad we were able to do our job and it feels good to know the guest was able to make it.’
Delta Downs recently recognized the security officers for their heroic acts with a special certificate to honor them for saving a life.
Travis Waters, Director of Security at Delta Downs, is very proud of the officers.
‘These three officers’ actions give the utmost credit to the type of team members and people they are every day,’ said Waters. ‘I wish I had 100 like them.’
In February 2021, the security team at Sam’s Town Las Vegas responded to a similar call for help when a fellow team member went into cardiac arrest. The security team immediately responded to the scene and began performing CPR and using an AED. Thanks to their quick response and training, the security team was able to restore the team member’s pulse, helping him to breathe again, as paramedics arrived.
Last month, MedicWest Ambulance Las Vegas honored the nine Sam’s Town security officers who helped with Community Hero Awards at a special award ceremony held at the property. Those officers included Sergeant David Kelley, Corporal Peter Wesley, and Officers Paul Tocchio, Marco Vargas, Ronda Ferreira, Greg Price, Jaime Cramutola, Pat Hoffner and Mike Long.
At the awards ceremony, the MedicWest Ambulance team praised the Sam’s Town security team for their ability to successfully implement their CPR and AED training and perform much-needed help before paramedics could arrive and bring the team member to a hospital.
‘We are so proud of the great work that these security officers do every day,’ said MedicWest Operations Manager Jessica Goldstein. ‘MedicWest is proud to recognize them for all their efforts that make a significant impact on the chances the people they help have to survive from these kinds of circumstances.’
According to the American Heart Association, to have the best chance of survivability, someone needs to administer CPR and AED to a person in cardiac arrest within four minutes. If that happens, the chance of survival is 90 percent (excluding an underlying disease). For every minute that follows, survivability decreases by 10 percent.
Boyd Gaming security officers across the country receive CPR, AED and first aid training on an annual basis, keeping them up-to-date on what to do when a guest or team member needs help.
Their ability to respond immediately and effectively utilize life-saving training helps to create a safer environment for Boyd Gaming guests and team members nationwide.
Press Release-Boyd’s Gaming
