Press Release
MetroED Becomes First School District in County to Install AEDs at All Major Sites
The Metropolitan Education District has become the first school district in Santa Clara County to install Automated External Defibrillator's (AEDs) at its five major school sites. MetroED is also offering CPR/AED training to staff this summer so that each location will have trained personnel in the event of an emergency.
MetroED's initiative comes at a time when AED and CPR training are in the national spotlight. June 1-7 is the first National CPR and AED Awareness week and June is National Safety Month. The American Heart Association and the American Red Cross share a vision in which all Americans are within four minutes of an AED and someone trained to use it.
MetroED oversees two main programs-Central County Occupational Center (CCOC) and Metropolitan Adult Education Program (MAEP)--and believes in being as prepared as possible in the event of an emergency.
"We are fortunate at MetroED to have an effective safety committee which meets monthly and consists of employees from each school site, a representative from Schools Insurance Group and the San Jose Police Department," said Dan Gilbertson, MetroED HR Director, Emergency Preparedness Coordinator and Safety Committee Chair. "CCOC also offers classes in EMT, Fire Science, Law Enforcement, Medical Assisting, and Health Occupations. This means we have trained teachers and students, as well as other staff members, who are experienced in CPR and AED operation."
Each month, the district holds at least one type of safety drill which involves all students and staff: fire, earthquake or code red. During earthquake drills, the district, with the help of CCOC students, simulates injuries and building damage. Students and staff 'rescue' trapped students from classrooms and bring them to a triage area staffed by students from CCOC's Fire Science, EMT, Medical Assisting, and Health Occupations programs. Every classroom and office also has a basic Code Red kit and the district has two emergency supply bins that contain supplies including medical supplies, water, meal rations, search and rescue equipment, emergency shelter, and blankets.
The Philips OnSite AEDs purchased by MetroED from Santa Clara based emergency preparedness company--HeartReady are the same models used at libraries and community centers throughout San Jose. The AEDs and summer employee CPR/AED training sessions were offset by safety credits earned from Schools Insurance Group (SIG).
In May, the San Jose City Council Public Safety, Finance, and Strategic Support Subcommittee approved a recommendation in a report from San Jose Fire Chief Darryl Von Raesfeld, that San Jose further research on how to become a Heart Safe City. The initiative will go to the City Council at a later date for approval. If approved, this would increase the 'chain of survival' in San Jose for those who suffer from cardiac arrest. Statistics from the American Red Cross show that if CPR/AED is not provided within the first 10 minutes after a heart attack, there is virtually no chance of survival.
An AED is very simple to use. The AED has one button that is pushed to start the machine and then voice prompts that instruct the user on how to place the AED pads and if a shock is needed. The AED will not shock a victim if the AED determines a shock is not needed.
Students in CCOC's Fire Science, EMT, Law Enforcement, Health Occupations, and Medical Assisting programs are certified in CPR/AED/First Aid. CCOC's Fire Science/EMT Instructor Oscar Tovar is a Captain with the San Jose Fire Department and one of the department's CPR/AED/First Aid trainers.
"MetroED and HeartReady are committed to preventing death from sudden cardiac arrest by increasing the number of AEDs and CPR/AED trained people in San Jose," HeartReady President, Lori Lopez, said.
MetroED is a Joint Powers Authority (JPA) that, through CCOC, provides career-technical education for high school students in six districts: Campbell Union High School District, East Side Union High School District, Los Gatos-Saratoga Joint Union High School District, Milpitas Unified School District, San Jose Unified School District, and Santa Clara Unified School District. Students attend CCOC for half of their school day and the other half they attend their home high school.
MetroED's adult education program, MAEP, offers a variety of programs including English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education, Citizenship, GED Preparation and testing, Independent Study, CalWORKs, Capitol High, Adult High School Diploma Classes along with a number of Community Interest Programs (CIP) and classes for 50+ (Older Adults) students at over 38 locations throughout San Jose and Campbell.
For more information on MetroED, visit www.MetroED.net and for more information on HeartReady and the services they provide, visit www.HeartReady.com.
MetroED is the largest career-oriented educational organization in
Santa Clara County, comprised of high school and adult occupational,
academic and community programs.
MetroED annually provides 50,000 diverse students with the skills
to help them be productive, income-earning and tax-paying contributors to
Silicon Valley.
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