June 26th, 2007: The GCCISD Maintenance Department began training in Basic Red Cross Emergency Response techniques. These classes are designed to provide Maintenance personnel with the ability to provide basic emergency care until an Ambulance arrives. In order to assure proper training, the class size was limited. The department will hold its second training class on July 17th to train the remainder of the department.

The classes consist of training on 3 basic life saving techniques:

• CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)
• First Aid
• AED (Automated External Defibrillator)

CPR TRAINING

The technicians practiced on the CPR techniques learned during instruction on a mannequin designed for use in CPR classes. They also practiced by lightly trying the techniques on each other, demonstrated below by Debbie Finn and Justin Pedersen.

Debbie demonstrates the technique used when a person is choking: 5 back blows, followed by 5 abdominal thrusts. The CPR techniques learned will allow Maintenance employees to provide basic emergency care until paramedics arrive.

FIRST AID

Also in the class was basic first aid training. This training included applying splints and bandages, as well as learning how to identify strokes, heat exhaustion, and burn types.

AED

Automated External Defibrillator's are located throughout the district. They are a portable technology designed to provide diagnosis and treatment of some heart related problems before the paramedics arrive. AED's save lives with this quick on location emergency treatment, when time is a precious commodity.