Project ADAM training helps Hartland teachers, staff prepare for crisis
Project ADAM training at Hartland school
Teachers at North Shore Middle School in Hartland completed months of training Wednesday to prepare for sudden cardiac arrest emergencies on campus.
HARTLAND, Wis. - Teachers at North Shore Middle School in Hartland completed months of training Wednesday to prepare for sudden cardiac arrest emergencies on campus.
What we know:
The school is now the first in the Hartland-Lakeside School District to complete the course and become a "heart-safe school." More schools in the district are expected to follow.
The program is meant to make teachers and staff comfortable using AEDs and performing CPR if a student or staff member collapses.
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A year ago, the school’s principal applied to become a heart-safe school through Project ADAM, a program administered locally through Children’s Wisconsin. Project ADAM is named after a Whitefish Bay student who died suddenly while playing basketball more than two decades ago, when AEDs were not common in schools.
Local perspective:
For sixth grade communication arts teacher Morgan Johnson and the rest of the staff at North Shore Middle School, the training is a mental, emotional and physical test.
"I would rather run these drills monthly – which we often do – then when something comes up, we know what to do," said Johnson.
Alli Thompson, Project ADAM administrator at Children’s Wisconsin, said timing is critical during sudden cardiac arrest.
"We want AEDs accessible across the building in under three minutes, round trip," Thompson said. "So anywhere on campus you’d have the victim, get the AED and bring it back in under three minutes. [...] If we apply the AED, do CPR – their chance of survival is very, very high."
What they're saying:
Andi Zilles, the district nurse, said the training helps staff understand the importance of immediate action.
"With CPR, you’re literally taking the heart, squeezing it and forcing the blood throughout the body," said Zilles. "[...] We hope that never happens, but we’re prepared. Be prepared, not scared."
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Thompson said 300 people are alive today because of Project ADAM and similar programs across the country.
Johnson said the training is about making sure students know they are protected when they walk into the building.
"Whenever students walk into the building, the students in front of me in the classroom or in the halls," Johnson said. "They can trust that they are safe here."
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