School department staff are prepared for emergencies

    In addition to getting supplies for their classrooms and planning lessons, a few teachers and other Caribou School Department employees got ready for the new school year by undergoing a CPR training and certification course on August 11.

Aroostook Republican photo/Deanna Jordan
    Faculty and staff of the Caribou school system met at the high school library to go through a CPR training course, in preparation for the upcoming school year. Pictured are, from left, coach Todd Albert, ed techs Wendy Bossie and Janna Patton, teacher Dan Fishman and custodian Mike Truman. Those present watched videos that gave them emergency scenarios, which they had to respond to, using their “practice buddies.”

   Every year approximately eight to 10 training sessions are held at the schools to prepare faculty and staff for emergencies requiring CPR, as well as training them in the use of automated external defibrillators (AED), which are stored at the Caribou Learning Center, Caribou High School PAC/gym lobby, the high school ski building and at the Caribou Middle School.
    The trainings are available to custodians, bus drivers, secretaries, coaches, teachers, administrators and educational technicians, or ed techs. After the August 11 session, there are now 97 employees within the school department who are trained and certified to perform CPR.
    The classes are arranged by the Caribou School nurses and are taught by American Heart Association instructors. The instructors have included school nurses Christine Hamilton and Deborah Plourde, Caribou High School Assistant Principal David Wakana, Detective Stephanie Beaulieu of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and Chris Jackson, LAT-C.
    After training, the participants were given emergency scenarios which they had to respond to, using their “practice buddies.” They were trained on how to correctly perform CPR on adults and children, as well as how to use the AEDs.
    Those who participated in the August 11 session included: Dan McDonald, Dan Duprey and Sue White, administrators; Dave Martin, coach and teacher; Todd Albert, coach and teacher; Dan Fishman, teacher; Bobbi Scott and Lisa Collins, secretaries; Michael Truman, custodian; Rob Kieffer, coach; and Claudia St. Peter, Janna Patton and Wendy Bossie, ed techs.

Aroostook Republican photo/Deanna Jordan
    Ski coach Rob Kieffer, left, checks on his “practice buddy,” while teacher and coach, Todd Albert, right, performs mouth to mouth. Behind them other members of the Caribou school system faculty and staff do the same, showing what they would do in an emergency situation. After the August 11 session, there are now 97 school department employees who are certified in CPR.