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~ Last Updated: 01/02/07 ~ |
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Osseo Area Schools is Heart Safe We never know when something unexpected will happen that changes our lives forever. Harry Voit certainly had no idea when he woke on Monday, December 15 that his life hinged on a decision made by District 279 school officials years before. Voit, who is 59, works for Center Point Energy as an accountant, but when he’s not balancing the books, Voit moonlights for the Osseo Maple Grove Basketball Association (OMGBA) as a referee for boys’ and girls’ basketball. It’s something he has enjoyed doing for over 20 years, ten of those for the Association. On this particular day, Voit was scheduled to referee during the play-off games for 3rd and 4th graders at Rush Creek Elementary. For some reason, Voit wasn’t feeling like himself – he complained of stomach pain. It was obvious something was wrong, and so, not long after he arrived at Rush Creek, Harry decided to go home. Two people observed him as he left the building and could see that he didn’t look well. When they followed him out to the parking lot and saw that his car had rolled to a stop in the intersection, the two ran to his assistance. Harry was unconscious and purple when he was pulled from this car. A passerby who stopped in the intersection called 911 for help and turned the speaker phone feature on while someone else began CPR. 911 said they needed a defibrillator and someone immediately ran back to Rush Creek to get it. Harry regained consciousness briefly after receiving an initial shock from the defibrillator but seemed to fade back into unconsciousness. Once the paramedics were on the scene and were able to use the defibrillator again, Harry regained consciousness. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are life-saving tools. They work by delivering an electric shock to the heart. The electrical current interrupts the abnormal heart rhythm and restores the heart’s normal rhythm . Statistics show that more than 200,000 Americans die of sudden cardiac arrest every year. Up to 50,000 of these deaths could have been prevented if someone had initiated CPR and had an automated external defibrillator (AED) been available for immediate use at the time of the emergency. AEDs are the most effective treatment for heart attack, but they are only effective if administered within three to five minutes from the time the heart attack first occurs. District 279 made the decision to purchase AEDs for all of their schools several years ago. Over 50 of them have been installed across the District since that time ( with some buildings receiving more than one). There were no requirements to install AEDs by the State or even from OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. It just made sense, considering the large number of people who visit our schools each day. District 279 administrators firmly believed that if even one life could be saved with a defibrillator, it would be worth it. Harry was the second. |
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