Join T.C. Williams High School nurse Megan Costanza and PE teacher Tia Moore and become an ACPS certified first aider.
This year we are partnering with the Emergency Care and Safety Institute in association with the American College of Emergency Physicians, whose experts have provided an online course that must be completed before the practical lesson.
The hands-on class is free for staff. ACPS has negotiated a discounted rate of $11.70 for anyone else, including friends or family, who would like to join you.
The modules do take quite a bit of time to complete so it is suggested that participants start as early as they can to complete the online portion. Once successfully completed, print your certificate and register in PLMS for one of several skills sessions being held in the quiet dining area of the T.C. Williams cafeteria from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. on the following dates:
- Thursday, Dec. 5
- Wednesday, Jan. 9
- Wednesday, Feb. 6
- Tuesday, Mar. 5
- Tuesday, Apr. 2
- Tuesday, May 7
- Tuesday, June 4
Additional dates will be added soon.
During the hands-on portion, staff will go through a series of stations with an instructor to demonstrate their mastery in adult, child, and infant CPR, automated external defibrillator use, and choking. They will also cover the use of an Epi-pen/Avi-Q for anaphylaxis. Once they have successfully demonstrated their ability to complete each station, they will be issued an electronic card via their ACPS email which will meet the state licensing requirements, Medicaid billing requirements, and ACPS requirements.
Nurse Costanza said, “In the United States, someone has a heart attack every 34 seconds with approximately 4 out of 5 sudden cardiac arrests happening at home. Few victims experiencing sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital survive, unless a rapid sequence of events takes place in the first few minutes: 1. Recognition & Action, 2. CPR, 3. Defibrillation, 4. Advanced Care 911. When a heart stops beating, the chance of survival decreases by 7-10% for every minute that defibrillation is delayed. That is why as a CPR instructor and emergency room nurse I am thankful that ACPS has put AEDs in every school.”
For more information, please contact Megan Costanza at megan.costanza@acps.k12.va.us.