Seventh and eighth grade students at Forrestdale School in Rumson recently learned some critical lifesaving skills.

As part of a Meridian Health initiative dubbed Create a Community of Lifesavers, the students, on Jan. 6, 7 and 8, during their Health and Physical Education classes were instructed on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) compression as well as abdominal thrusts for choking victims. The 40-minute sessions were conducted by Kim Crowley, Ashley Davis, Angela Norosavage, and CJ Sabosik of Meridian.

The wheels were set in motion when Forrestdale Health Teacher Heather de Laszlo, R.N. received a letter outlining the need for and availability of Creating a Community of Lifesavers. Made possible by a partnership between Meridian and the American Heart Association, the program is being offered at no cost to local schools.

“For a number of years I taught the Forrestdale School seventh graders about CPR, but this has become more difficult to schedule in recent years,” said de Laszlo. “I was excited to receive the information from Meridian about the opportunity for them to come to the school to provide CPR instruction.”

With instruction from a DVR and assistance from the Meridian Health CPR instructors, the Forrestdale students learned all of the crucial lifesaving steps to take in cases of cardiac arrest. They also worked to perfect their hands-only CPR techniques using Little Annie mannequins.

Students also received instructions for assisting choking victims as well as detailed information on using an Advanced External Defibrillator (AED) on adults and children.

Each student received an instructional booklet from Meridian Health and will be awarded a certificate of participation as well. They were also encouraged to take the next step by participating in complete CPR certification courses.

Heather de Laszlo noted that Meridian’s CPR training was a perfect complement to Forrestdale’s Health curriculum which includes an introduction to First Aid for fifth graders, more detailed First Aid instruction in seventh grade, and a Red Cross Babysitting Class for sixth grade students.

“We are so appreciative of the instructors’ generosity with their time and talent,” said deLaszlo. “This program has captivated every seventh and eighth grade class. The students have learned life-saving skills that can make a tremendous difference.”

— Edited press release from the Rumson School District