Defibrillators provided for Colfax schools by hospital

Two new defibrillators, donated by Whitman Hospital, will be hung up in Colfax school district’s two buildings.

The devices, which can jump-start a person’s heart back into commission after a heart failure, should be in place by January.

“I think it’s something that’s really valuable to have in a place with so many people in attendance,” said Supt. Michael Morgan.

The hospital has offered the devices to the district for several years but the district until now turned them down because of liability issues. Morgan informed the school board of the new defibrillators at the Dec. 21 board meeting.

On a given day, Jennings Elementary has about 500 staff and students inside, a number which can rise over 1,000 during a school event.

Colfax High School has about 400 students and staff on any given day, a number which can rise to over 1,400 during a school event.

The hospital has been offering the defibrillators to the district for a while.

Morgan said he has held off because he hadn’t been 100 percent sure they could regularly maintain a defibrillator up to code.

However, this year Whitman Hospital agreed to include the school district on their service agreement.

A message to hospital chief clinical officer Denise Fowler was not returned by press-time.

District staff can voluntarily come to trainings for the defibrillators in January. While most staff already have first aid training that provides basic knowledge on operating a defibrillator, Morgan said this training will be for the specific devices which will be in the buildings.

They are fairly self-explanatory, he said.

Ideally, students will also get a course on how to use the defibrillators, Morgan said, possibly through their P.E. or health classes.

In the past five years, Morgan could only recall one incidence when a defibrillator was needed for an emergency. That actually happened last month.

“It might be one time in the next 15 years. But it will be nice when you use it at that time,” Morgan commented.