 |
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Students at Wayne County return to classes Thursday Melodie Phelps News Editor Wayne County students return to classes Thursday morning, and school officials are looking forward to another safe and successful year. Superintendent John Dalton welcomed teachers back to school Monday morning, the official opening day for the district. “I am very excited about this new school year,” he told staff Monday. “I have been looking forward to it for quite a while.” Dalton outlined several goals for the new school year, including safety of the students. Safety was the theme for opening day, as staff trained with the new automated external defibrillators (AED’s) that have been placed in schools across the campus this year, as well as the Area Technology Center and the gymnasium. Last year, a student at Southwestern High School died on campus, and some believe his death could have been prevented if an AED was available to use in that instance. A letter from a Somerset physician to the Commonwealth-Journal newspaper prompted schools to purchase this lifesaving equipment in hopes of saving a student, staff member or parent who may need it. Dalton mentioned the student in Pulaski County, as well as the recent death of a student in Louisville during his remarks Monday morning. He noted that while no one is certain a defibrillator would have saved these young lives, he wants to make sure it is available to students and staff at Wayne County. “I’d be happy if we never had to take it out of the case,” stated Dalton. “If we ever need them, they are there.” According to Lifepak CR, the company that supplies the AED’s, sudden cardiac arrest claims the lives of at least 250,000 people each year. The only known treatment for sudden cardiac arrest is the use of a defibrillator, which uses an electric shock to stop the abnormal heart rhythm and allow the heart to return to a more normal beating pattern. Brian Matix, of School Health Corp. who did initial staff training on the units last week, estimated that 30 to 40 percent of schools in Kentucky have AED’s. He said it depends on how receptive the superintendent and the EMS staff are. “Here in Wayne County, you’ve got the whole package deal,” said Matix. “It will be successful here because you all are on the same page. It’s got to be a collective effort.” Add a comment |
|
|
@ 2005 The Wayne County Outlook For more information, see our online Privacy Policy. |