(Avoca) The AHSTW School District held a sudden cardiac arrest drill Friday morning and officially became Project ADAM certified.
The drill began with a simulation of students playing basketball when one student collapsed.
A code team, made up of AHSTW staff members, administered CPR until rescue crews arrived. Medics applied the LUCAS Chest Compression System and transferred the patient to an ambulance, where the patient was then loaded into the LifeNet helicopter that was on standby.
A certification team from the University of Iowa was onsite to observe and evaluate the drill.
With the drill completed, the AHSTW District became the first school in southwest Iowa to achieve Project ADAM certification. Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory) is a national initiative dedicated to preventing sudden cardiac death in schools and communities. Founded in 1999 following the death of 17-year-old Adam Lemel, the program helps schools and organizations become “heart safe” by establishing cardiac emergency response plans, providing AED training, and conducting drills.
Superintendent Darin Jones said Friday’s drill is a testament to the people at AHSTW School District.
According to Project ADAM, studies have shown that the best chance of saving a life occurs within the first four minutes of a sudden cardiac arrest. Survival to hospital discharge for sudden cardiac arrest is 14.4% for children ages 1 to 12 and 19.9% for those ages 13 to 18.
Reminder: AHSTW School To Host Sudden Cardiac Arrest Response Drill on Friday
