THIS STORY RAN IN THE NEWTON KANSAN ON SEPT. 3, 2008.
John Esau gave the board of education a goal to think about Monday night — placing an automated external defibrillator in every school building in Newton.
Automated external defibrillators — or AED — is a portable automatic device used to restore normal heart rhythm to patients in cardiac arrest.
“I’d like to see us have one in every building, including the district office,” said Esau, a three-term member of the board. “There are issues to address. You have to have a maintenance schedule and continued training. You can’t just put one in, leave it and hope it will work two years later.”
An AED is used to treat cardiac arrest. According to the US. Food and Drug Administration, it is a life-saving device because cardiac arrest is a sudden condition that is fatal if not treated in a few minutes.
“This is something we may never need and hope not to need,” Esau said. “But that one time you need it (it is worth having).”
Currently, the school system has one in place at the high school, with about five staff members in addition to the school nurse trained in how to use the device.
The district is planning to place one at the middle school level this year, in response to a student who has health issues making them a high-risk cardiac arrest candidate.
“We try and address the possible health needs of both special education and regular education students with AEDs as needed,” Superintendent John Morton said.
According to assistant superintendent of business Gary Jantz, a defibrillator costs between $1,500 to $4,000.
He was asked by the board to create a proposal of how the district might budget for the purchase of more AEDs.
“We should talk to the local EMS, as well,” Esau said. “If we purchase these we should try and get something compatible with their systems.”
In other business, the board:
• Accepted the low bid of $32,595 from Cybertron International of Wichita for 41 computers and monitors.
• Accepted the low bid of $23,593 from B and B Lumber of Newton for building materials for the 2008-09 building trades project house.
• Approved the hiring of Jill Weaver as .6 full-time equivalent special education teacher at Hesston Middle School and Judy Schrag as .32 full time equivalent as special education teacher at Chisholm Middle School.
• Awarded certificates to Barbara Bunting and Pat Tongish from the 2007-08 Boardsmanship Academy.
