Richland School District steps up staff training for CPR, defibrillator devices

The Richland School District hopes to get hundreds of staff members such as school nurses and coaches certified in CPR and the use of automated external defibrillators, or AEDs, through a new set of courses a Enterprise Middle School teacher is organizing.

All of the November classes taught by Monty Bowen, who teaches physical education, were full. Those offered in December are already booked, district administrators recently told the Richland School Board.

They and Bowen attributed the positive response to a sincere interest on the part of coaches and others closely involved in student health in being prepared for any circumstance.

“I know that as a coach it’s important to know where the next class is,” Bowen said. “It’s nice to have it offered here.”

Athletic coaches and other personnel who work in student health are required to be CPR-certified in case of emergencies. Certifications last for two years, and finding a class nearby to be recertified has been a problem in the past, officials said.

Bowen’s class also covers use of an AED, which is used to treat heart-related emergencies such as an irregular heartbeat or tachycardia. Each Richland school has at least one AED on campus.

There have been several incidents at Richland schools in recent years that required use of the device, including a Carmichael Middle School student who collapsed during a physical education class in 2014. The staff who helped that student were trained by Bowen.

“A lot of people are afraid of the machines, but then they see how easy it is to use and that you can’t really hurt someone with it,” Bowen said.

Also at the recent meeting:

▪ Assistant Superintendent Todd Baddley told the board that the district is continuing to look at possibly adding boys and girls soccer at the middle school level as early as fall 2016.

District administrators met with athletic directors and principals earlier this month to discuss the availability of fields, costs and other issues related to starting a new athletic program. Coaches, parents and district facilities staff will meet with those school officials in December to discuss the issue. Surveys will eventually be distributed to determine student interest.

“Probably the biggest issue is going to be space,” Baddley told the board, noting the demand for athletic fields from other athletic teams at the schools.

A recommendation is expected to be put before the board in February. A final decision is needed by the district by April so games can be scheduled for the next season.

This story was originally published November 29, 2015 at 8:32 PM with the headline "Richland School District steps up staff training for CPR, defibrillator devices."