November 7, 2003
Gary Davidson
Public Information Officer

SWIFT MEDICAL INTERVENTION EARNS MEDAL FOR SERGEANT 

Like all law enforcers, paramedics and public safety officers, Sergeant Dana White of the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is never really off-duty. And on July 8, that dedication to duty and service very well may have saved the life of a 12-year-old girl. 

That was the day that a New Smyrna Beach girl who’s a neighbor of Sergeant White fell through a sliding glass door in her house. Bleeding profusely, the resulting injury from the broken glass nearly severed the girl’s leg. The girl’s parents called 911 and attempted to control the bleeding, but were unable to. That’s when Sergeant White, alerted to the commotion by his son Bryon -- a Volusia County lifeguard -- ran next door and immediately set to work controlling the bleeding while also calling a trauma alert to arrange for critical care transport. Sergeant White stayed with the girl and continued to treat her injury until Evac paramedics arrived. The girl was flown by Sheriff’s Office helicopter to Halifax Medical Center for emergency surgery. 

Earning praise for his swift actions and quick medical care, Sergeant White was presented with the Sheriff’s Office’s Medal of Merit during an awards ceremony Thursday afternoon in Daytona Beach. “Had it not been for your actions, the girl more than likely would have bled to death,” Sheriff Ben Johnson said as he presented the medal to Sergeant White. “I congratulate you, Dana.” 

The medal also came with a framed citation from Sheriff Johnson, which noted that Sergeant White’s swift intervention reflected “the highest standards of the law enforcement profession and brings honor to both himself and to the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office.” Sergeant White supervises the department’s aviation and marine units and has been with the Sheriff’s Office for 16 years.