First Aid Certification for ESP members in St. Johns and Clay Counties

ESP members in St. Johns and Clay counties participated in the AFT Health and Safety First Aid, CPR, and AFD (Automated External Defibrillator) training program this summer.

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Congratulations to the following ESP members who recently became Certified First Aid trainers: Carolyn Coffey, Rosario Valivia, Jay Mueck, and Nezzie Green from St. Johns ESPA; Kelly Griffis, Karen O’Keefe, and Linda Landis from Clay ESPA.

This past summer has been extremely productive for our ESP members in St. Johns and Clay Counties. They participated in the AFT Health and Safety First Aid, CPR, and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) training program. The training is certified by the American Health and Safety Institute. This three-day training the trainer program authorizes the participants to teach the program back in their locals. One of the new trainers, St. Johns bus driver Nezzie Green, knows the value of having first aid skills.

In the last issue of the FEA Advocate, we shared her traumatic story about a young student who suddenly started bleeding on her bus while on the way to school. The youngster passed out and had to be rushed to the hospital. But Nezzie’s immediate response made the difference and saved the boy’s life. After sharing her experience, local leaders decided it was time to prepare its members to become first responders in case of an emergency. We all know that time is critical during an emergency. Participants were required to take a skills test at the completion of the course to obtain the two-year certification. They’re also expected to return to their locals and conduct the full eight-hour course in First Aid, CPR, and AED and issue official cards of completion to other ESP members.

St. Johns and Clay will begin developing training sessions for their members during this school year. National trainers Don Dudley from ICWUC, Robert Moore from Pasco, and Michael Lohman from AFT were on hand to lend their expertise and provide a balance of intense learning and fun.

If you are interested in learning more about First Aid, CPR, and AED training or bringing it to your local, contact: Blanca
Sotelo, FEA Professional Development Specialist at: blanca.sotelo@floridaea.org