Submitted by SCAFoundation on Tue, 03/19/2013 - 12:00am

GRANDE PRAIRIE, ALBERTA--Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools declared public support for Project Brock this week with the purchase of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for every school in the district.

The campaign to bring the life-saving devices into schools began in May 2012 after the tragic death of 16-year-old Brock Ruether, who suffered a cardiac arrest during a volleyball game at St. Thomas More school in Fairview.

A teary-eyed Kim Ruether petitioned the board at a meeting Monday for its continued support in making AED and first aid certification mandatory in Alberta schools.

She said the immediate use of an AED could have saved her son’s life and that Brock paid the ultimate price for this awareness.

“We need to have more than just parents on our side,” she told trustees. “We’ll do whatever it takes to help you.”

Ruether wants the board’s assistance in bringing her case to Education Minister Jeff Johnson to implement Project Brock at the provincial level.

“Thank you for the push and know that we are with you in this,” responded board chairman Ralph Wohlgemuth. “You’re helping us to realize that it’s worth pursuing.”

The district’s goal is to have AEDs in every Catholic school by the end of June. The devices have already been ordered; all that remains is placement and certification.

“People are reluctant to use the device because they think someone is going to get shocked,” said district superintendent Karl Germann.

“They need to see how it works – part of it is awareness and part of it is more detailed training.”

For the next three months, teachers in the district will bring an AED to staff meetings so they can learn their way around the device and talk about its use.

“It probably isn’t possible to have everyone trained and up-to-date all the time because you’re talking about 4,000 or 5,000 people, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be aware of what an AED is,” said Germann.

High school students in Grade 10 or above will continue to have a first aid and AED certification option through their classes.

“We feel it’s important not only because of the death of Brock Ruether, but because Kim has pointed out the importance of having them in our schools,” he said.

The program will cost the district approximately $20,000 and will be funded by its 2012-2013 Occupational Health & Safety budget.

SOURCE: Grand Prairie Herald Tribune