Friday, May 17, 2024
Gatesville Independent School District recently made a purchase of two de-chokers for the cafeterias of each campus. This device is another life-saving option in addition to the Heimlich Maneuver.
The devices were placed in the campuses of Gatesville Primary School, Gatesville Elementary School, Gatesville Intermediate School, Gatesville Junior High School, and Gatesville High School on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
Gatesville ISD’s Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services Yancey Sanderson expressed that some of the faculty members had seen the devices being advertised and asked Dr. Pollard if they could get some for the district.
“Any choking event is a life-threatening emergency, so we agreed having as many resources available as possible was a good idea,” Sanderson said.
The devices were purchased through Gatesville ISD’s nurse’s budget.
“These devices are designed to require minimal training,” Sanderson said. Each campus nurse will include these devices in their ongoing campus safety training for faculty and staff.”
To operate the de-choker, one would insert the device’s tongue depressor into the person’s mouth and over the tongue. Be sure to get a tight seal over the nose and mouth, then tilt their chin up to open the airway and quickly pull back on the device. If the person stops breathing, give breaths, and do a finger sweep to look for a foreign object. If none is found, starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) would be the only option.
“Many faculty, staff. And even students are familiar with life-saving techniques such as the Heimlich Maneuver and sweeping the throat but in an emergency, you never know what is going to work,” Sanderson said. “The de-choking devices are another resource to use if necessary.”
According to dechoker.com, the de-choker has saved over 420 lives over this past year alone.
For more information, contact Gatesville ISD at 254-865-7251.
