Yves Cantin President of Westport Volunteer EMS
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jay Paretzky my mentor and training supervisor at Westport Volunteer EMS
1 year, 28 classes, 657 students taught.....................
WVEMS 7/1/14- 6/30/2015
|
Tuesday, August 18, 2015
Westport EMS Awards Aug 9th 2015
Wednesday, August 5, 2015
Aug 5th 2015 - Heart Bill signed into law by Governor Dannel Malloy
Aug 5th 2015, 4.40 pm
Today, I was amongst the lucky, privileged few that were invited to the attend the ceremonial bill signing of Public Act 15-94 -An act concerning the inclusion of cardiopulmonary resuscitation training, the safe use of social media and computer programming instruction in the public school curriculum.
It was such an amazing experience to be in the same room as people who have worked so hard to get this bill this far. On June 24th 2015, CT became the 24th state to pass the CPR in Schools Bill.
It was such an amazing experience to be in the same room as people who have worked so hard to get this bill this far. On June 24th 2015, CT became the 24th state to pass the CPR in Schools Bill.
Governor Malloy formally signed the bill today, and for each letter of his name he wrote, he used a different pen and kept passing out the pen that he finished writing with till each person in the room got one as a momento of this historical event. He started writing the numbers of the date once he ran out of the letters in his name just so everyone of us present there got a pen! (it was pretty funny haha) It was truly an unforgettable moment.
Students will now get hands on training in how to save a life before they graduate high school. A big thank you to everyone who's support, encouragement, and advocacy over the years made this possible.
July 30, 2015Dear Legislators and Stakeholders,Governor Malloy would like to invite you to attend the following bill signing ceremony:Ceremonial Bill Signing for Public Act 15-94An Act Concerning The Inclusion of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training, the Safe Use of Social Media and Computer Programming Instruction in the Public School CurriculumWednesday, August 5th4:40pmTo confirm your attendance, please let me know by responding to this email or by calling either number below. Please note that this is not a public event and is by invitation only. If you would like to extend the invitation, please call or email me first.Thank you and we hope you will be able to attend the bill signing.EmmaEmma CiminoAssociate, Government AffairsOffice of Governor Dannel P. Malloy
JULY 2015
Trained 27 counselors and 5 staff of HYSC 2015, a 2 week sleepaway camp at the Hudson valley resort in upstate NY on 12th of July 2015
"Save a life" Project presentation 28th JUNE 2015
"Save a life" project presentation is on 28th of May Thursday at 12.30 pm in the Public forum room at Norwalk High.
 |
Hands only CPR Class - Choices for success 12th May 2015
May 12th 2015
Mr. Eric, he's already certified in CPR and AED.
ZOWIE-WOWIE - what a day at
Choices!
Thanks to our great NHS intern,
Mahika Jhangiani, her Mom, and her little brother Arnav, all of our students
got some 'hand only' CPR and AED training today at Choices.Everybody was super
excited about it AND about the fact that getting actual CPR and AED
CERTIFICATION if available for middle schoolers.
SO-OOOOO, thanks to a funder that
we located, we're going to pay to have all those Choices kids who want to learn
this life-saving training CERTIFIED through the American Heart Association
branch in Westport. They'll come to Choices to do the certification training so
it's going to be super convenient for everyone.
When? We're going to schedule this
training the last week of school, when we have a week full of half days.More
info to come, in the meantime, enjoy these pics - nice to know that our kids
are ready, willing and able to help with life-saving CPR and AED should an
emergency occur.
When? We're going to schedule this
training the last week of school, when we have a week full of half days.More
info to come, in the meantime, enjoy these pics - nice to know that our kids
are ready, willing and able to help with life-saving CPR and AED should an
emergency occur.
Here's the GANG - including our
practice dummies - at the end of today's 'hands off" CPR training! That's
Brayan and Isaiah displaying the portable AED device - hard to believe that
such a little machine can have such life-saving potential. Mahika is in the
front row, with the red polo shirt and long black hair. She's definitely one of
the best role models EVER! That's her younger brother Arnav, front right, with
the cast on his arm.
These 'skillful' hands belong to Nycole who was
great at administering the compressions.
William administering CPR as Andreas looks on
Mahika and her brother explaining
how and where to attached the shock pads for administering AED.
Alex, Mary (our future doctor), and
Abril learning how to use the AED unit.
L-R Andreas practicing on 'dummy'
with Alek, Oscar and Christopher looking on and checking the proper CPR hand
position.
Alek's turn to administer CPR with
Oscar looking on intently.
You know it's interesting stuff
when Sammy gets involved - here Sam is taking instruction from Mahika involving
the 'rhythm' of the compressions.
Setting up the AED machine was
really interesting - once you place the pads on the victims chest, you turn on
the AED machine and a 'voice' then leads you through the process. However,
everyone learned that when the shock is administered you need to "STAND
BACK," which means to remove all hand contact with the victim.
Kids don't usually pay THIS much
attention, but Mahika's presentation really had them listening.
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Support Senate Bill 684
Students from the Westport EMS explorer post teaching CPR to their peers at Staples high school
on Thursday 4/2/15
If a High School Senior Can Teach Lifesaving CPR,
Why Can't a School?
Why Can't a School?
Mahika, a senior at Norwalk high School, is taking it upon herself to teach hands-only CPR and AED awareness to teachers and students in the Norwalk school district. She believes in increasing the number of Connecticut residents who are trained in life giving CPR. Mahika believes it is very important that students learn CPR in school and get hands on training on how to perform chest compressions as well as learn how to use an AED.
Click here to tell your elected official if a student can teach CPR to students, then a school can do the same.
Mahika, at a very young age, witnessed firsthand a friend’s grandfather become unresponsive. Her mother rushed to his side and acted quickly. Mahika realized the importance of being comfortable in performing CPR. She took it upon herself to become certified as an Emergency Medical Responder and an American Heart Association BLS Instructor. She continues to teach CPR in her community and hears more and more stories of when quickly administered bystander CPR makes the difference between life and death.
Click here to ask your elected official to support Mahika and the work she is doing to ensure lifesaving CPR is taught in our schools.
In the time it takes to watch a 30 minute sitcom, a class of students will have learned a life lessons making our communities heart safe.
Thank you for sharing Mahika's story with your legislators.
Sincerely,
John Bailey
Government Relations Director
Connecticut
twitter.com/J_M_Bailey2nd
Heart Disease and Stroke. You're the Cure.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Norwalk Education Foundation Grant Proposal
Presented my grant proposal to buy
manikins & a trainer AED for the Norwalk High school students on March 31st 2014 at the Norwalk
Education Foundation's "Classroom Innovation Grants a la Shark
Tank." Senator Duff took time out to come see the presentations and State
Rep. Fred Wilms, was one of the judges. If you feel this life saving skill
which can be covered in a 30 minute class should be part of the High
school curriculum in Connecticut as it is in 21 other states, and would like to
voice your support for Senate Bill 684 you can write to our State Senator Bob Duff at
duff@senatedems.ct.gov or use the following link to contact your
legislator: http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/find/findlegislator.asp
Mahika Jhangiani
NEF Grant Proposal
1. Describe
your proposal with a short project description, including timeline, goals and
how you will sustain in subsequent years after NEF funding is over?
I hope to get this grant and be able
to use the money to purchase training manikins and training AEDs for the 2 High
Schools in Norwalk. Hands-Only CPR is 30-minute non-certification class,
which covers Hands-Only CPR, the use of an AED and how to relieve an obstructed
airway. This class does not need to be taught by a certified instructor, since
it is mainly an informational class, which would teach students what to do in
case of an emergency. Purchasing the manikins and AEDs would allow students to
get hands on experience in performing chest compressions. This psychomotor
component would allow students to become confident in performing CPR and allow
them to become the lifesaving people that are so needed.
These
manikins and AEDs would be a one-time purchase. Once they are bought
there is no other investment needed. The only cost that I foresee is
"batteries" for the trainer AED every couple of weeks or so. This
quick 30 minute class can be taught in health classes and students will get to
practice compressions on the manikins as well use the AED. The manikins and
AEDs could be easily shared between the two high schools in our district
(Norwalk High School and Brien McMahon).
2. How will
this project enhance your school? How will it engage students, improve learning
or pilot a new and innovative idea?
This
project will not only enhance my school, but the community as well. Students
will not only learn CPR, but also get to practice how to perform it. The
more students that are trained in CPR, the more people there will be in our
community that will have the confidence to step out of a crowd and save a life
from sudden cardiac arrest. The implementation of this 30-minute Hands-Only CPR
classes in our schools and allowing students to practice on manikins, could
make the difference between life and death for someone. This could also be
student’s first exposure to the field of medicine.
Please check my blog for success
stories where teenagers have saved lives by performing CPR. http://2steps2savealife.blogspot.com
3. What
inspired this idea? What research have you done to make sure it’s a worthwhile
idea? Can you provide any examples of this idea being implemented in other
schools?
As
a part of my senior project, "Save a Life," with the help of my co-instructors
at WEMS, I have been organizing and teaching classes all throughout the school
district for faculty and students. Working as a CPR instructor, I realized the
need for training and AEDs at my school. The Connecticut state law mandates
that all schools must have Automated External Defibrillators (AED) on campus,
and have a certain number of faculty members trained in their use, “if the
funds are available.” Norwalk High School did not have AEDs so, at the end of
my junior year, I decided I would make it my senior project to work towards
acquiring AEDs for my school and get as many students and faculty members
trained in CPR and the use of AEDs as possible. Fortunately, over the summer
AEDs were installed throughout the Norwalk Public Schools, which allowed me to
focus on the second, more important component of my project, training the
faculty and students.
I
was inspired to become and Emergency Medical Responder and CPR instructor when
I heard the stories of many instances when "bystander CPR" saved
lives. It really hit me, when I heard about Harrison Malec and Adam Greenle in
Westport, who were both under the age of 14 when they went into cardiac arrest.
Thanks to the quick action of their friends, nurses, and teachers, who
performed CPR and used the AED, the two were resuscitated and are both alive
and well today.
At
Norwalk High School in our health class we were taught CPR but because we do
not have manikins and AEDs we did not get the opportunity to practice how to
effectively perform CPR and use an AED. Here in Connecticut, in some of
the high schools in our neighboring towns like Weston, Westport, and Greenwich,
students are trained in CPR and the use of an AED. Their local EMS organizations
support the classes and the communities/schools themselves have also raised
money for the AEDS and manikins.
There
are 21 states in America, which have made CPR training mandatory in schools. On
February 23rd, 2015, I was invited by the American Heart Association to testify
in support of Senate Bill 684, concerning increased training in Cardiopulmonary
Resuscitation and for it to specifically include CPR and AED training in
schools, for the Public Health Committee at the Connecticut State Legislative
Office in Hartford. If Senate Bill 684 is passed, training in CPR and the use
of an AED will become a requirement for High School Graduation in state of
Connecticut, too.
4. How much
will this cost? Please provide a complete budget with costs for all items.
After
research and discussion with Mr. Marchetti, we think the best manikins to buy
are the Prestan Manikins with a monitor. A four pack of these manikins can be
purchased for $485. These have lights on them by the shoulder, which let the
student know if they are performing the chest compressions at the correct depth
and rate. The health department already has one trainer AED, which is a trainer
for the real AEDs that were installed in 2014 throughout our school district.
LIFEPAK trainer AEDs can be purchased for $346. Since there already is one
trainer AED, I think it is only necessary to purchase one more. A four pack of
manikins and a Trainer AED could be purchased for $831. Although this is over
the NEF grant of $500, I plan on doing some extra fundraising to cover the
balance cost.
Four Pack
Prestan Manikins: http://www.eworldpoint.com/en/Products/CPR-Training-SuppliesEquipment/CPR-Manikins/Prestan-Manikin-4-Pack-wCPR-Monitor_-_PAK100/#.VQJX46WDpuY
LIFEPAK Trainer AED: http://www.aedsuperstore.com/physio-control-lifepak-cr-t-aed-training-system.html
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)