Two Local Schools Get Defibrillator
Machines
By Shana Kelley, WISHTV.com
April 19th, 2005
(Indianapolis) - Defibrillators could mean the difference
between life and death for the victim of a heart attack,
but the devices are not often readily available. Administrators
of Lawrence Township schools say the machines bring
peace of mind.
On Tuesday members of a Lawrence Township neighborhood
organization presented defibrillators to two Lawrence
Township schools.
“We hope they never need them but we did this
for the purpose of helping the community out here,”
said Paul Rogers, Lawrence Township citizens council.
The group raised $4,000 at a local chili supper,
which was enough to buy two of the devices.
“It's absolutely amazing that people choose
us because we've got huge businesses in Lawrence and
corporations and other places these items could have
been donated to. But they chose the schools and that
tells me as a principal the importance our community
places on the schools in Lawrence Township,”
said Nikki Woodson, Forest Glen Elementary School
principal.
Each unit is about the size of a laptop computer
and can deliver an electric shock to a heart attack
victim to help restore a normal heart rhythm.
“It's just a matter of the technology is available
and why not take advantage of that, in making sure
that we train our staff in the appropriate use, making
sure that we supply every available resource for our
community,” said Dennis Watts, Fall Creek Valley
Middle School principal.
Even though school administrators will be trained
to use the defibrillators, the directions are spelled
out in three easy steps to make remembering easy in
times of crisis.
“We hope that we never have to use a device
like this but it does give us some peace of mind knowing
that it is available if needed,” said Woodson.
The devices were given to Forest Glen Elementary
and Fall Creek Valley Middle School.
The group plans to give another defibrillator to Lawrence
North High School sometime in the next couple of weeks. |
