Schools now have AEDs available

With the the hope they remain idle in their storage case, Williston area school officials are installing automated external defibrillators to schools through state-authorized dollars.

During the 2007 legislative session, a bill was introduced to allocate funds for all North Dakota Schools that do not have automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to receive one. Senate Bill 2313 passed unanimously and was signed by Gov. John Hoeven on April 24, 2007.

Statistics show that more than 200,000 Americans die of cardiac arrest every year. Up to 50,000 of these deaths could have been prevented if someone had initiated the Cardiac Chain of Survival, and an AED had been available for use at the time of the emergency.

An AED is a device about the size of a laptop computer that analyzes the heart's rhythm for any abnormalities and, if necessary, directs the rescuer to deliver an electric shock to the victim. This shock, called defibrillation, may help the heart to re-establish and effective rhythm on its own.

AEDs will not only provide life-saving measures to students and staff, but also to parents and community members who attend school-related events or use the school facility for community events.

In rural areas where emergency care is not readily available, AEDs become critical life-saving devices.

AEDs are easy to use, and cannot cause injury.

In North Dakota, three students died on school grounds since 2005 as a result of cardiac arrest. At that time, none of the schools had access to an AED. If one of these rare occurrences happens again, school officials want to give them a chance. They reason the AEDs may also save a parent or grandparent attending a function someday.

"They were funded by the North Dakota Health Department," said Warren Larson, superintendent of Williston Public School District 1. "We have one in every school. At the high school, we have two because it's such a big building."

AEDs also are placed at the football field.

Larson said members of his administrative team are seeking further grant dollars to equip each of the activity buses for students if needed.

On Tuesday, Hagan Elementary staff members were introduced on some simple steps on how to use the device in their school after classes dismissed.

Local CPR instructor Jody Cymbaluk started by showing the teachers where the AED is located, next to the school office. She advised the device will emit a piercing sound when removed from the case. This will alert others that the AED is in use or is being taken, and the AED should be checked on. It could not be removed just as some prank by a student. If it is an emergency, staff members could alert property emergency officials of the situation.

Cymbaluk first advised the teachers check for a pulse under the armpit area and the neck area. If none is found, an AED should be implemented, she said.

Cymbaluk proceeded to open the device. She said instructions are clearly given and printed when a device is applied to a victim.

For children up to 55 pounds, a special key is inserted. Instructions are geared for assisting a child. With a child, the AED gives a smaller dose of a shock to the smaller body. Infants up to a year would not be administered the shock, Cymbaluk said.

Instructions for applying the AED pads for an adult victim are different. The pads of the AED are placed on the back and the front of a child's chest as indicated by instructions. For an adult, it will show to place both on the front, one on the upper-level chest area and one diagonally on the lower-area of chest area.

The AED will check for the pulse. If it finds one, it will not instruct the user to apply a shock. If it does not find a pulse, it will instruct the person when to push the button for a shock. No shock will occur unless the AED user pushes the button.

Cymbaluk warned the AED should not be implemented when someone is on a table or against any other object having metal. Rather the victim should be on a flat, non-metal surface. The device can be used outside in rain as long as the victim or the person implementing the AED are not partially or totally submerged in a puddle of water.

Larson said initial training will be basic for now, but will become more involved later.

"What we're doing now is having all of the staff become familiar with it," he said. "Next summer we'll have Jody (Cymbaluk) and some other people come to an in-service and they'll train us on First Aid, CPR and AEDs all together."

Other school districts also are installing their AEDs, and are instructing their staff on their use.

"They arrived the first of the year," Greg McNary, superintendent of schools at New Public School District 8 said. "We're happy to have it in place. We are excited, but we hope we never have to use them."

He said they are in the process of installing them at each of the three school sites.

"Most of the staff has been trained in their usage, but we'll probably have a refresher course," McNary said.

Trenton School Superintendent Michael O'Brien said CPR instructor Joe Busch of Williston has already trained his staff on the AEDs.

"We now have two of them," O'Brien said. "One is mounted by the gym. We have it labeled by the door so that people know we have an AED."

Doug Black, superintendent of Trinity Christian School in Williston, said they also have received the devices, and have begun training their people in their proper use.