August 19, 2019
By: Dwayne Page
DeKalb Middle School has a new portable automated external defibrillator (AED) thanks to the DeKalb Junior Pro Basketball Program
Matt Quarles, President of the League, made the presentation Monday morning to DMS Principal Lacy Foutch, Assistant Principal Anita Puckett, and School Nurse Joanie Williams.
The defibrillator will be placed at the old DMS gym which is where the DeKalb Junior Pro teams practice but the AED can be used elsewhere in the school if the need should arise.
DeKalb County Schools were designated as Heart Safe Schools in the spring of 2019 through a collaboration with Vanderbilt University and Middle Tennessee Project ADAM. This included AED placement and staff education about the response to sudden cardiac arrest. In an ongoing process, staff training is conducted for CPR Certification, student education about emergency response, and drills for preparedness in case of a cardiac event on school grounds.
“This is a way we try to give back. We used part of our funds from games, sponsorships, and people paying to play to purchase this defibrillator for the school. Last year we donated funds to resurface the gym floor at Northside Elementary School where we play our regular season games,” said Quarles.
“We are going to put it in the old gym at DeKalb Middle School so if someone were to fall ill it will be there for us to use and they (school) can use it for any kind of emergencies they have. They let us use the gym so we’re just trying to give back a little bit,” said Quarles.
The DMS administration and teachers say they are grateful for this donation by the DeKalb Junior Program Basketball Program.
An automated external defibrillator, or AED is an automated, computerized medical device that is capable of checking a person’s heart rhythm and, when necessary, providing an appropriate electrical shock that may “reset” the heart to an acceptable, normal rhythm.