Hauppauge students propose LifeVac devices districtwide; district says devices already ordered and staff trained

Ella Muhlenberg and Colette Acevedo, two Girl Scouts seeking the Silver Award, asked the Hauppauge Union Free School District Board of Education on Jan. 14, 2025, to place LifeVac airway‑clearing devices in every district building and to revise the district’s choking procedure so the device may be used before a person loses consciousness.

The proposal, presented during the board’s regular meeting, requested one LifeVac unit next to every automated external defibrillator (AED) and changes to the district’s written choking policy so staff could use the device after standard abdominal/back thrusts fail — rather than waiting until the person becomes unconscious. "Our Silver Award project is to have LifeVac devices in all of the buildings in the district," Muhlenberg said during the presentation.

Nut graf: Choking is a time‑sensitive emergency and the students cited national statistics and local incidents to argue immediate access to a non‑powered suction device could reduce harm. They provided an estimated cost, fundraising plans and a suggested rollout and training schedule; district leaders described steps already taken and…