Local ambulance district recognizes employees for life saving efforts

DEXTER, Mo. -- Six employees of the Stoddard County Ambulance District were honored with the district's Star of Life Awards recently at its annual Christmas party.

These awards are given to employees whose actions during an emergency response resulted in saving a life. Three ambulance crews were honored for their actions:

• Critical care paramedic Amy Earls and emergency medical technician Steven Cummins, for delivering a baby during the ice storm that crippled the area in late January
• Paramedic Sam Pearson and EMT Joshua Sailer for restarting a Puxico resident's heart after it failed last summer
• Critical care paramedic Chuck Kasting, who is also assistant manager at the ambulance district, and EMT Tyler Juden, who revived a Dexter resident after the patient had gone into cardiac arrest.

Peg McNichol of the Southeast Missourian contributed to this report.