Image Credit: aed.com
March 28, 2015 - 8:33 AM
KAMLOOPS - The foundation that brought first aid training to Kamloops secondary students could soon be bringing the automated defibrillators to local schools.
The Advance Coronary Treatment Foundation is offering to help establish an automated external defibrillator program. It would be an expansion of the CPR training already in place and students at participating schools would learn to properly use the devices. The program would also provide funding to purchase an AED to be used at the school.
Back in 2005 and 2009, the foundation established a high school CPR program in the Kamloops-Thompson School District. It worked with community partners to supply schools with cardiopulmonary resuscitation mannequins and the necessary training for teachers to be able to teach CPR to their Grade 10 students.
Secondary principals have already met with a local doctor and B.C. Emergency Health Services to discuss the possibility of adding AED training, and the response was positive. Principals expressed interest in having the Grade 10 physical education teachers get the necessary training during the exam week this June.
Initial instructor training costs are covered by the foundation but districts are responsible for follow-up training. The estimated annual maintenance costs of the AEDs run about $75, for batteries, pads and serving at each school, and signage would be posted at each participating school to the tune of about $250 per school, bringing the start-up costs to about $3,500 and the ongoing annual costs to about $1,500.
The hope is to bring the program to all secondary schools next school year.
The board of education will be presented with a report on the program at a regular meeting on Monday, March 30.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infonews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015