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Project ADAM presentation urges AED coverage; district says it already has devices but will review field coverage
Summary
Project ADAM representatives asked Columbus County Schools on May 12 to certify campuses as “heart safe,” citing survival gains from early CPR and defibrillation; district staff said the system has about 25 AEDs, performs monthly checks and will map gap locations on athletic fields and high‑traffic areas.
Project ADAM representatives and a Duke Children's nurse practitioner told the Columbus County Board of Education on May 12 that equipping schools with automated external defibrillators (AEDs), routine CPR training and regular AED drills can materially increase survival from sudden cardiac arrest.
Danielle Sturkey, nurse practitioner and Project ADAM North Carolina program coordinator, described Project ADAM’s origin and mission and said early defibrillation is the critical, life‑saving intervention for cardiac arrest. She cited national survival statistics from Project ADAM efforts and told the board that average EMS response times (about six to seven minutes) can exceed the window when an AED shock is most effective.
Project ADAM recommends an AED be reachable within three minutes from anywhere on a campus, and the program provides a “heart safe” checklist that covers AED placement, an emergency response team, a written cardiac response plan, annual review and AED drills that include scenario practice. Sturkey said Project ADAM partners with children's hospitals and offers implementation support and school drills.
Board members and district staff discussed the district’s current readiness. The district’s nurses and administrators said Columbus County Schools has about 25 AEDs located at main entrances and key buildings; high schools typically have two or three units and some campuses place AEDs in field houses and main buildings. The district conducts monthly inspections and has a central replacement process, although staff said replacement pads and batteries can be backordered.
Board members asked about the number of AEDs per campus and funding options. Project ADAM staff said some vendors offer discounts for schools pursuing the heart‑safe designation and grant funding opportunities exist; typical high‑school coverage can range from eight to 10 AEDs depending on campus size. District nurses said they would run site tests to confirm three‑minute access at baseball/softball/soccer fields and work with Project ADAM on a prioritized plan.
No vote occurred; the board asked Project ADAM and district staff to produce a site‑level assessment and plan for improved field coverage and to explore funding to add AEDs where needed.
Provenance: presentation and wide discussion during the student support services and auxiliary‑services portions of the May 12 meeting.
