By Samuel Speciale
The Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — In a corner meeting room on the Capitol’s fourth floor Tuesday, a group of representatives performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation drills on a pair of lifeless mannequin torsos as part of the joint Senate and House Education Committee’s study into CPR training in schools.
There was chuckling and a few confused glances as state Sen. Ron Stollings, D-Boone, showed his fellow senators and delegates how to perform chest compressions to the beat of the Bee Gees’ 1977 classic, “Stayin’ Alive.”
Stollings, a medical doctor, remarked how much the drill has changed in recent years, adding that not having to perform mouth-to-mouth has made it “better.”
After the brief demonstration led by representatives from the American Heart Association and Marion County Emergency Medical Services, the group of lawmakers got back to business: discussing the possibility of making CPR training a graduation requirement for West Virginia’s 282,000 students enrolled in public school.
Legislatures in 20 states have passed into law compulsory in-school CPR training while another 20 have placed the issue on upcoming agendas. If the issue were to be picked up when January’s legislative session begins, West Virginia could be the next state to add the drill to the long list of requirements students must meet before leaving school.
Pointing to West Virginia’s history of rampant cardiac disease, which is the state’s leading cause of death, Christine Compton, government relations director for the AHA, said something must be done to prevent sudden cardiac arrest, which she claims can happen anywhere at anytime.
“There are about 424,000 cardiac arrests each year (in the United States),” Compton said. “Only about 10 percent survive.”
Compton went on to say that the survival rate doubles — and in some instances triples — when someone trained in administering CPR is nearby.
Compton proposed a bill requiring the training sometime in middle or high school and that instruction be approved by the AHA, American Red Cross or another nationally recognized program that uses current emergency care guidelines. She also called for the development of “psychomotor skills,” which was described as the use of hands-on practicing to support cognitive learning.
“Ten to 15 years down the road, this legislation passing could mean a large portion of the population will be CPR trained and can react any time and anywhere,” she said.
For Compton, this means that many lives could potentially be saved, especially in rural West Virginia where ambulance response time can take as long as 30 minutes.
There was debate over the program’s necessity and cost as well as its long-term benefits and students’ ability to retain what they learn.
Compton said not all students will remember what they learn but that the hands-on approach is used because “things practiced are more likely to be retained.”
She also spoke to its cost. While a final number was not provided, the CPR mannequin kit she brought costs about $25 and is generally shared among six students.
Stollings asked if the program could be created through Board of Education policy rather than legislative action. Compton said a move on the Legislature’s part would “send a stronger message” to constituents.
Delegate Tiffany Lawrence, D-Jefferson and committee co-chairwoman, questioned whether students would feel comfortable administering CPR in a real-world setting. She said she was once CPR certified but would not be confident performing it today.
Compton said that would depend on the individual.
Also discussed by committee members was a study of the state’s eight regional education service agencies and a potential realignment of their responsibilities and boundaries, which has been led by Howard O’Cull, executive director of the state School Board Association.
Earlier this month, a state school board commission tasked with determining the roles of RESAs, which O’Cull consults, began finalizing a plan that would shift some administrative control from county school boards to a regional office so local officials could focus more on instruction.
O’Cull said declining enrollment, which affects formula money county boards of education are granted, has caused several local school systems to become financially and resource-strapped. He said restructuring would alleviate some of that stress, but several committee members questioned whether it would actually help.
One delegate said in his dealings that he found it to be twice as expensive for a RESA official to do something when compared to locally.
Others expressed displeasure that a cost analysis and breakdown of RESA services previously requested were not delivered. O’Cull said they were ready and could be sent later Tuesday.
There also was discussion over RESA involvement in bus driver and other personnel certifications.
The Commission on School District Governance will meet again Thursday to further discuss the realignment. A finished proposal is tentatively planned to be delivered to the Board of Education by the end of the year.
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©2014 the Charleston Daily Mail (Charleston, W.Va.)