AED In Schools

[emsmedic39]

This bill did pass in the Oklahoma House and Senate. It is now law. Rep. Wallace Collins has to push hard to get it passed. Wallace is becoming a good friend to EMT's and EMS in Oklahoma. Students form the EMT program at Oklahoma City Community College asked Rep. Collins to introduce this bill. Great Job Wallace and the Students of OCCC.

Contact: State Rep. Wallace Collins

Capitol: (405) 557-7386

OKLAHOMA CITY- (January 29, 2008)

– A $1,500 life-saving device could be located in every Oklahoma school if a measure by state Rep. Wallace Collins can navigate the legislative process this year.

Collins is again pushing for passage of House Bill 1847, a measure he introduced last year, which would require an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) to be placed in every public school across the state. The measure was assigned to the House Education Committee but never received a hearing.

"How many times do we read or see a news report of a person, usually a young athlete, who suffers from cardiac arrest after a sports contest or practice?" asked Collins-(D) Norman. "Even one time is far too many when we have inexpensive life-saving devices that can be purchased and made available at a moment’s notice."

Collins said a small number of school systems around the state already have AEDs on site, but most do not. The Norman lawmaker believes that every school should have one for the protection of all school patrons, whether they are athletes, employees, students or visitors.

Just this past week, an article in the Oklahoman told the story of an Oklahoma City man whose coworkers used a defibrillator to save his life after he suffered a heart attack at his desk.

Collins cited the article as an example of not only how vital the devices are but also how simple they are to use

- even for an untrained person.

"Defibrillators today are automatic enough for even an untrained person to use them," said Collins. "As I understand it, they are able to lead you through the instructions of use, so that anyone could administer the life saving procedure."

The bill would require that each school have employees trained and available to use the AEDs, however.

Defibrillators can range in price from only a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, but with volume buying, there could be a considerable savings, said Collins.

The measure would first seek help from the private sector to pay for the AED's, but would include state funds if necessary.

Collins said he has been told by medical professionals that it is critical for a victim to receive treatment in the first three to five minutes following a cardiac arrest, meaning that a defibrillator needs to be close by. Also, a defibrillator greatly increases a victim’s chance of survival when compared to having CPR applied, he said.

Collins noted that the measure received the support of both the American Red Cross and of the mother of a local student who died after an athletic event, yet the bill did not even receive a hearing in committee.

"Life and death doesn’t donate money to campaigns or vote our representatives into office," said Collins. "We have AEDs on every floor of the State Capitol Building, yet we refuse to give the same protections to our school employees and students.

"It is shameful that a measure that has the real potential to save lives cannot even make it to the House floor to receive an up-or-down vote by the members who have been placed here to protect our citizens. This is a non-partisan issue that deserves to be heard."

[AnthonyM83]

Are there many cardiac arrests in schools? Teachers mostly?

Not saying it's a bad thing at all, though.

[FireMedic65]

My high school had an AED there when I was there, and I graduated 6yrs ago. Only a handful of the teachers were required to be trained on using it, which is just silly because a retarded monkey could use one.

On the other hand, wasn't there a case where a student collapsed during a sporting event, and the AED failed because they weren't taught to plug in the pads or something like that? Or was this just a rumor?

[Dustdevil]

On the other hand, wasn't there a case where a student collapsed during a sporting event, and the AED failed because they weren't taught to plug in the pads or something like that? Or was this just a rumor?

I wouldn't be surprised. Not all of them are/were simple enough for a monkey to use. What all too often happens is that the ISD, believing that their local firemonkeys are the authority on these things, asks them what they should buy. Then, the firemonkeys knowing nothing but LifePak their entire lives immediately tell them they need LifePaks, which is the biggest piece of shyte on the market. So, thinking they've done their proper research, the ISD hangs LifePaks everywhere and waits for the inevitable. The inevitable is that some panicked teacher opens the box and hears only "ATTACH ELECTRODES!! ATTACH ELECTRODES!! ATTACH ELECTRODES!!", which makes no sense, even to somebody who took a four-hour class on it a year or two ago. Had they bought something with more intuitive controls, and clearer, more redundant on-board instructions, they would be good to go with no training at all.

So yeah, that's not at all hard for me to believe. I have heard several such anecdotal stories.

[firedoc5]

I know at a neighboring school it saved a fan who collapsed. Luckily there were two RN's there to help out. But the guy had by-pass surgery and up and around like nothing happened.

[CBEMT]

I wouldn't be surprised. Not all of them are/were simple enough for a monkey to use. What all too often happens is that the ISD, believing that their local firemonkeys are the authority on these things, asks them what they should buy. Then, the firemonkeys knowing nothing but LifePak their entire lives immediately tell them they need LifePaks, which is the biggest piece of shyte on the market. So, thinking they've done their proper research, the ISD hangs LifePaks everywhere and waits for the inevitable. The inevitable is that some panicked teacher opens the box and hears only "ATTACH ELECTRODES!! ATTACH ELECTRODES!! ATTACH ELECTRODES!!", which makes no sense, even to somebody who took a four-hour class on it a year or two ago. Had they bought something with more intuitive controls, and clearer, more redundant on-board instructions, they would be good to go with no training at all.

When I was asked to set up wall-mounted AEDs for our Athletic department, I pre-connected the pads to every unit. All it takes is some prior planning. Whose unit it is doesn't really matter.

[itku2er]

Here where I live they only school they have a AED at is the High School. I personally think they need them in all the schools. They only got that after a teacher had a massive MI and died at the school. If they train people right on how to use them it can be a real benifit to the school system to have one there. But you have to educate the students and teachers on the correct way to use one or it will just be another expensive decoration that looks good in the cubby whole in the wall that says AED. Education is the KEY here, you have to train them.

[snakemedic]

well, logic would dictate that you use your health classes to teach all your students once a year with refreshers periodically (ie plug in the pads) and professional developement days to train all your teachers and janitors, and good gracious it probably wouldn't take long until everyone is familiar with it.

Just a thought but my defib never works, they all end up dead;)

[AnthonyM83]

So, I taught a BLS Refresher course today and it reminded me of what Dust was saying about people getting nervous.

We were just cleaning up, when a doctor came in late, asking if we could recert, even if it was quick he'd appreciate it. He seemed nice and good humored, so we said okay, but one of the instructors decided to have fun with it.

He had mentioned he was a cardiologist, so the instructor's just: "So you're a cardiologist, so you basically know this, see that chart, that's the algorithm, memorize it, okay got it, let's go, start!" (Doc started hurriedly jitteredly reading to himself, repeating it...smart guy really)

So, we rushed him into AED...basically just handed it to him. He was so nervous/rushed/panicked at this point when it said "ATTACH CONNECTOR" (with the blinking light right at the front) all he could do was fumble with it, turning it upside down looking for the plug-in, asking where it was, trying to blindly stick it into the underside...took all I had not to laugh.

Anyway, afterwards we slowed down and reviewed with him and give him a decent class...but see how panicked people can get in a class....imagine in a real event with bystanders looking at you!

[dahlio]

I know at a neighboring school it saved a fan who collapsed. Luckily there were two RN's there to help out. But the guy had by-pass surgery and up and around like nothing happened.

Did you get the RMA?