County continues first aid training program
TONY BROWN/DAILY FORUM
Michelle Orr of Cintas Corp. talks with members of the Nodaway County Commission on Friday about installing a first aid cabinet and automated external defibrillator unit at the county road and bridge maintenance facility in Maryville. Similar emergency medical gear is already in place at both the Nodaway County Courthouse and the Administration Center across the street.
The Nodaway County Commission on Friday elected to expand its employee-delivered first aid capability through the acquisition of additional training and equipment from Cintas Corp.
Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cintas is a leading provider of first aid, safety, and fire protection products and services to both business and government.
The commission has been working with Cintas since 2011, when it elected to install wall-mounted first aid cabinets and automated external defibrillators in both the Nodaway County Administration Center and the courthouse.
An automated external defibrillator, or AED, is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses life-threatening heart conditions, such as arrhythmias and tachycardia (rapid heart rate), and treats them through defibrillation — the application of an electrical current to the chest.
On Friday, while meeting with Cintas representative Michelle Orr, the commission elected to purchase an additional first aid cabinet and AED for installation at the county road and bridge maintenance facility on East Halsey Street.
Cintas AEDs, which come with a video monitor that provides instant instructions to the person applying first aid, cost $89 a month, including regular inspections and maintenance. The first aid cabinets carry a one-time cost of $199 that includes monthly inspections and product replacement — bandages, alcohol swabs, and so forth — as needed.
As it has every two years for the past six years, the commission is also contracting with Cintas for employee training in general first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and AED operation.
Training, based on protocols developed by the American Heart Association, is to be provided for up to 18 county employees during two four-hour sessions scheduled for early next month.
North District Commissioner Robert Westfall said participation is voluntary, but that the hope is that at least one person in each county office or area of operations will participate.
TONY BROWN/DAILY FORUM
First aid supplies, including an emergency heart defibrillator, are close at hand in both the Nodaway County Courthouse and Administration Center. Similar gear will soon be installed at the county’s road and bridge maintenance garage on East Halsey Street. A pair of training sessions designed to teach county employees how to apply first aid and administer cardiopulmonary resuscitation is scheduled for early next month.
