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 outlined funding plans.

The students explained what a LifeVac is and why they proposed it. "LifeVac is an FDA‑registered, Class II medical device," the presentation said, adding the device is a portable, nonpowered suction tool intended to clear an upper airway obstruction. The presentation cited national figures the students attributed to medical literature: about 5,000 choking deaths per year, one child dying every five days from choking, and roughly 100,000 annual emergency department visits for choking. The students also described two local incidents in which staff intervened to save students — one band‑room incident and one cafeteria choking episode — and said a LifeVac was present in a building but not used.

The students proposed financing partly through LifeVac’s reported school donation program and through local fundraising. They said they had raised roughly $600 and listed an estimated total cost of $3,373.65 for 27 devices and wall‑mounted cases (one device per building and one per cafeteria as proposed). They recommended training via an instructional video and on‑site practice or self‑assessment during faculty meetings or superintendent conference days. "If needed, we could do more fundraising," one presenter said.

District leaders responded that LifeVac devices were already in the district and that additional units had been purchased to improve cafeteria access. Dr. Murphy, the district superintendent, said the administration had met with the district physician about placement and procedure details and did not require a formal board action to proceed. "We do have LifeVac devices in our buildings," Murphy said. "We would like to figure this out out of the general fund, and I think we can make that happen."

A district staff member later told the board the administration had purchased an additional LifeVac for every building to ensure at least one device is accessible in cafeterias; staff training was reported as completed at that month’s faculty meetings and an inventory had been taken. A LifeVac representative who attended praised the students’ work and encouraged continued involvement.

Discussion vs. decision: The board did not take a formal vote on a policy change at the Jan. 14 meeting. The administration reported it had already purchased additional LifeVac units, placed devices in nurse offices and cafeterias, completed staff training that month and planned to use general fund dollars for inventory/placement. The students still recommended revising the written choking procedure to allow earlier use of the device; the transcript records that proposed policy language but does not show a formal adoption of revised district policy.

Clarifying details: The students recommended 27 devices and 27 wall cases (estimated cost $3,373.65). They reported $600 raised through fundraising and proposed cookie sales from February through April to supplement funds. The presentation stated LifeVac will replace a used device at no cost (as represented in the students’ materials). The district said it had consulted the district physician about placement and appropriate sequence of emergency maneuvers but did not adopt new written policy at the meeting.

Ending: Board members and the audience applauded the students. The board’s administration invited continued coordination between the students and district staff on placement, training and any potential written procedure changes.