Article reposted from Fox 29 San Antonio
Author: Darlene Dorsey
Last week, MacArthur High School athletic trainer –Chad Sutherland had to jump into action.
“This was my first and hopefully my last to every use It,” said Sutherland.
He and another trainer, Jeff Schmidt, worked together to use an automated external defibrillator went a student lost consciousness, last Tuesday.
They worked quickly to help resuscitate the high school junior who they said had no known history of heart issues.
Sutherland says the student with doing typical drills with other students outside.
When he returned to the building, he had difficulty breathing and collapsed, said Sutherland.
When they opened the AED case, the trainers also immediately dialed 9-1-1 to get EMS on the way.
The AED uses voice commands to help you know what to do.
“You can see it’s telling you where to place each pad,” said Schmidt.
Sutherland hopes others won’t be afraid to get basic CPR training to help someone in a medical emergency.
Chad Sutherland, “If this was your brother or sister or mom or dad, you would want to act so if someone is having problems you would want to help them out as well.”
SAFD Fire Chief Charles Hood will stop by MacArthur high school Tuesday to thank the trainers. He considers them heroes.
The chief says AED or automatic external defibrillators are in many public places like schools, airports, malls or stadiums.
“about 350-thousand people suffer heart attacks every single year,” Hood said.
He hopes others will consider basic CPR training to know how to use an AED. It takes just four minutes he says, for someone in cardiac arrest to lose oxygen to the brain.
But knowing how to use the device, until medical professionals arrive, could help save a life.
“It can happen at any age.
Anywhere. It can happen anytime. What this does is turn an everyday person into a hero because you’re going to be able to follow directions,” said Chief Hood.
The American Red Cross and American Heart Association of San Antonio have information about training to help you know how to use the automated external defibrillator.
