mSupply’s Central/Western Regional Safety Director David O’Boyle spends his workdays thinking about safety.
Many people might shut that part of their brain off once they clock out, but David tends to carry it with him. It’s simply how he moves through the world. So, when a request arrived from a familiar place, he didn’t need to think it over.
Bryan Stewart, lead chaplain of summer youth camp Summer Fire in Nashville, reached out with a tall order. The camp needed an AED and someone qualified to teach its volunteers CPR and AED use. More than 10 churches participate in the camp, and they wanted to make sure their teams were prepared for anything that could happen when hundreds of excited kids gather each summer under the Tennessee sun.
David knew the chaplain through the Tennessee Youth Camp Board. He also knew what this camp meant to the kids it served. Long before he ever wore a safety badge or carried an instructor card in his wallet, David was one of the kids running across those same campgrounds.
He remembers counting on the volunteers who ran the program. He can still recall the feeling of being guided by adults who showed up with patience and intention. So when the chaplain asked for help, it felt less like a favor and more like a chance to repay a meaningful part of his childhood.
To start, David volunteered to run the training himself. He holds certifications in CPR, AED use and basic first aid — so he was ready to step in. The next step was finding an AED and he knew the perfect sponsor: his employer, mSupply.
Once the unit arrived, it was time for training. He gathered 15 volunteers, some seasoned counselors while others were new faces, eager for their first summer. David walked them through each scenario with a calm, clear style. The new AED sat on the table as he taught, waiting for its turn in the spotlight.
The group listened closely. They asked sharp questions. They practiced until they felt steady. For many of them, holding an AED for the first time made the responsibility of caring for a camp full of kids feel real. When the session wrapped, Chaplain Stewart couldn’t hide his relief.
“We pray we never need it,” he told David, “but it’s good to know we’re ready.”
That readiness isn’t a one‑time thing. The camp now has safety training woven into its onboarding process. New staff, volunteers and mission workers will be required to go through the certification before they join the team.
As David packed up his materials that day, he took a moment to think about the journey from being a camper to being the one teaching the adults who now run it.
The change didn’t feel grand or dramatic. It just felt right. It felt like giving back to a place that once helped shape him.
And that, in its own quiet way, made his choice of profession matter even more.
