HomeMy WebLinkAbout___20211021 KPD NR 8 KPD employees honored for concerted effort in saving livesDEREK S.K. KAWAKAMI, MAYOR
MICHAEL A. DAHILIG, MANAGING DIRECTOR
News Release
For Immediate Release: October 22, 2021
COUNTY OF KAUA‘I
KAUA‘I POLICE DEPARTMENT
TODD G. RAYBUCK, CHIEF
(808) 241-1600
8 KPD employees honored for concerted effort in saving lives
LĪHU‘E – The Kauaʿi Police Department (KPD) recognized eight Employees of the Month ̶
Dispatchers Sarah Louxz, Christina Chong Tim and Kristin Minei; Officers Aaron Bandmann, Robert Kerry,
Christian Kaui, Derrick Kelley and Tyson Relacion ̶ during October’s Police Commission meeting held via
teleconference on Friday.
All eight employees were responsible for working as a team to save the lives of two women on
September 22.
Around 6 p.m., Louxz received multiple reports of two unresponsive women, ages 30 and 40, in
the area of the Kapaʿa Ball Park. As a result of her quick thinking and experience as a 911 dispatcher,
Louxz was able to recognize that the women were unresponsive as a result of a possible drug overdose.
Within a few minutes of the initial call, she dispatched both fire and medical personnel, while Chong Tim
dispatched police to the scene.
During the pandemonium of this incident response, Minei continued to receive and take the
overflow of 911 calls that kept coming in.
Officers Bandmann, Kerry, Kaui and Kelley responded and arrived on scene within minutes of
being dispatched. They located the two women who were lying motionless in the parking lot area. Off-
duty Officer Relacion was already assisting with one of the subjects.
“The officers arrived at a chaotic scene that included two unresponsive females and a large
crowd gathering. The Officers, working as a team, acted quickly and decisively to tend to the women and
create a perimeter to prevent further exposure,” said Patrol Services Bureau Captain Roderick Green.
“They immediately diagnosed the situation and within seven minutes of being dispatched, Officers
Bandmann and Kaui deployed Narcan (a nasal spray used in emergencies to treat suspected opioid
overdoses), while Officers Kerry and Kelley assisted with preparing the Automated External Defibrillator.
With medics enroute from Līhuʿe, Officers assisted with the recovery of the women and saved their
lives. No doubt that the team of Dispatchers’ clear communication, and the Officers’ quick response and
decisive actions, saved lives.”
Both women were revived and received additional medical assistance from arriving Kauaʿi Fire
Department and American Medical Response personnel.
“Despite the many challenges police officers face, we keep coming back to work every day
because there’s no greater feeling than knowing that you’re capable of changing the trajectory of a
person’s life. You save someone’s life today so that they can continue to be with their loved ones
tomorrow,” said Chief of Police Todd G. Raybuck. “I am so proud and grateful to work with the many
men and women of this department. Their heroic actions never cease to amaze me.”
Group photo of employees of the month with their commanders (Louxz and Kerry not pictured here).
Capt. Green with Dispatcher Louxz. Chief with Dispatcher Minei.
Chief with Officer Kelley. Chief with Dispatcher Chong Tim.
Chief with Officer Bandmann. Chief with Officer Kaui.
Chief with Officer Relacion. Capt. Green with Officer Kerry.
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