Officer Amanda Drummond

Officer Amanda Drummond of the University Police Department at the State University of New York at Fredonia will receive the SUNY Police Chiefs Life Saving Award.

The four-year UP veteran at SUNY Fredonia and alumna of the university will be honored by the SUNY Police Chiefs Association at its annual conference in Saratoga Springs, on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Officer Drummond responded to an “all-call” for assistance issued by the village of Fredonia, NY, police department to adjacent law enforcement agencies for an early-morning incident last spring. Upon arriving at the scene and finding a person wounded, severely bleeding and laying on a street, Drummond immediately applied first aid, monitored vital signs and continued to care for the victim until an EMS crew arrived.

The victim kept saying that they thought they were going to die, Drummond recalled. Fellow UP officers arrived at the scene to provide support for Drummond.

After being taken to Brooks Memorial Hospital, the victim was later transferred to Erie County Medical Center and survived the injury.

“Officer Drummond’s quick actions to mitigate further issues with the victim’s injury ultimately saved his life,” said UP Chief of Police Gordon Carpenter, who nominated Drummond for the award with input from his staff. “Based on her efforts, the subject was able to be rushed to the hospital and treated.”

Drummond utilized basic first aid training received at the Erie County (N.Y.) Law Enforcement Training Academy as part of training to become a police officer in New York state. All UP officers at SUNY Fredonia receive refresher first aid training annually.

“She should be very proud,” Carpenter said. “She did her duty exceedingly well and saved a life.” Drummond stands out for her willingness towards helping and assisting, maintaining a positive attitude, no matter what she’s dealing with, he added. “She’s an excellent officer, dedicated to the profession of law enforcement.”

Feeling shocked, but proud, is how Drummond reacted to being chosen to receive the annual award.

“That was my very first time dealing with something like that. My co-workers were proud of me, so that was a nice feeling, too,” she said.

Drummond, who was born in Houma, LA, and raised in Dunkirk, received a B.A. from SUNY Fredonia, with majors in Criminal Justice and Sociology, in 2007. She began her law enforcement career at SUNY Oswego and joined the SUNY Fredonia UP four years ago.