ASHI and MEDIC First Aid Blog

It’s not only our students who come to the aid of someone in need. Our ASHI and MEDIC First Aid instructors often get in on the action as well. Today’s Good Samaritan story comes from ASHI instructor Tom Harland of The College of Wooster and recounts how he and his students worked together to save a life.

We’ll let Tom tell the tale:

“I have a Training Center and am the sole CPR, AED, and first aid instructor at The College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio. I am also a security officer at the college. I train many departments including [using ASHI’s] CPR Pro for the nursing staff.

On Monday morning, November 2, 2015, I received a call that an individual had passed out at the Wellness Center clinic. Upon arrival, I observed four employees in a hallway and I could tell by the look on their faces that the incident was much more serious than reported.

They pointed towards an office down the hallway. In the office was Jon, one of our academic counselors, who was lying on his back, unresponsive, and in cardiac arrest. At his side performing CPR were nurses Karen Tobias and Lisa Woods.

I immediately retrieved the AED from the hallway, turned it on, and applied the pads. I delivered one shock as instructed. Almost immediately, a number of city paramedics arrived and prepared the victim for transport to the ER.

About 45 minutes later, I was at the ER for another incident and a responding paramedic advised me that Jon was talking and would be transported to an advanced facility. I was elated that our training and efforts saved a life. Surprisingly, Jon returned to work in just three weeks.

[This incident shows the success of our] AED program and [has raised] awareness about it. Our campus has many AEDs and the three of us have experienced the capability of CPR and AED training. We are constantly promoting the importance and benefits of our program.”

Thank you Tom, Karen, and Lisa for your efforts in bringing the easy-to-learn skills of CPR and AED usage to The College of Wooster and making a lifesaving difference for one of your staff members.

Thinking about starting an AED program at your school or place of business? Let our AED experts help! Call us at 800.447.3177 and learn how HSI can help make it easy for you, your people, and your business. To get your started, check out our eBook on AED program success tips. Just click the button below to get your free download.