Waller ISD ahead of the curve with AEDs

Oct. 16 the University Interscholastic League (UIL); the governing body of Texas’ public high school athletic, academic, and musical contests; voted to require all of the high schools to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) on their campus by Aug. 1, 2007. This will not be a problem for Waller High School; it has had an AED on campus since Jan. 2004, three years before UIL’s recently passed requirement. Since Jan. 2004, the District has gone one step further by providing an AED at all of its campuses.
     Waller ISD currently has a total of 12 Lifepak CR Plus AEDs throughout the District. An AED allows a minimally trained person to respond to a sudden cardiac arrest emergency within minutes. This can be the determining factor in saving a life. The Lifepak CR Plus AED is about the size of a lunch kit. It uses voice prompts, which are activated when the user opens the cover, to guide the rescuer step-by-step. Once the rescuer places the electrodes on the victim, the Lifepak CR Plus AED requires no further user intervention. The AED automatically asses the patient’s condition and, if needed, delivers the appropriate therapy. All Waller ISD personnel have been trained on the use of the AED devices.
     A Lifepak is located on the wall outside of the nurses’ office at each of Waller ISD’s four elementary school campuses, Schultz Middle School, the Waller Junior High east campus, and at Waller High School. Additional AEDs are located outside the training room and in the field house at WHS, in the Maintenance and Transportation Departments, and in the Administration Building.
     Waller ISD will be adding five additional AEDs to the District’s inventory this semester. They will be placed at the Business Office, with the WHS training staff, and three at WJH; one at the west campus office, one at the west campus gym, and one at the boys’ athletics field house. The purchase of the additional devices will allow for AED coverage at all home and away athletic events.
     “Waller ISD will continue to add to its inventory of AEDs and expand availability and coverage as needed. The safety of Waller ISD students, faculty, and staff; as well as members of the community; continue to be a high priority for Waller ISD. In the instance that there is a cardiac emergency, we want everyone to know what the AEDs are, where they are located, and that they are available to them,” Waller ISD Assistant Superintendent Danny Twardowski said.
     UIL unanimously approved the order to require AEDs after a recommendation made by its Medical Advisory Committee Oct. 2. The actions were preceded by the sudden deaths of four Houston-area athletes in a span of three weeks. According to a press release from UIL, the amendment “contains language requiring each high school campus to develop a plan for implementation, coordination, and maintenance of their AED program.” This too, is already in place District-wide at WISD.