West Pulaski Fire was fortunate to spend some quality training time with Arkansas Children’s Hospital and MEMS Ambulance folks to certify one of our favorite elementary schools under the Project Adam program to prevent cardiac death in children and adolescents. It may seem less likely of a need to be concerned about heart health and cardiac issues in younger persons but this, like other thing, began with an unfortunate event.
The program’s name, Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory), honors Adam Lemel, a 17-year-old Wisconsin high school student who died from sudden cardiac arrest while playing basketball in 1999. His parents, Patty and Joe, collaborated with Children’s Wisconsin to create the program, which could have saved Adam’s life if an automated external defibrillator (AED) had been available.
Project ADAM at Arkansas Children’s Hospital:
As the Arkansas affiliate, ACH focuses on equipping our local schools and communities with the necessary training and emergency plans to respond to a cardiac emergency. The initiative works with schools to achieve “Heart Safe School” certification. Key program components include:
Emergency response plans: Helping schools create comprehensive plans for responding to a sudden cardiac arrest event on campus.
Training: Providing training in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an AED for school staff, students, and coaches.
Thanks to partners like PCSSD schools, MEMS Ambulance, and first responders like WPFD, we can ensure each of our schools has the training, tools, and a plan to act upon if the need ever arises.
We appreciate everyone that looks out for our kids! We are just happy to be a part of the winning team!
Response drills: Encouraging schools to practice cardiac emergency response drills to ensure staff familiarity and a quick, effective response.
AED access: Promoting the placement of AEDs throughout school campuses, with a focus on quick access to the devices. In Arkansas, state law now mandates that every school campus have an AED.
