Students from Esdal College in Emmen have won the national resuscitation tournament. More than 80 schools with a total of around 12,000 students took part in the tournament. As a special prize, Esdal College will receive an automated external defibrillator (AED).
The tournament was organized by the Heart Safe School Foundation, an initiative that focuses on teaching CPR. The students practice with a doll, which is connected to an app with sensors. The best scores are kept in the app. During resuscitation, students could see on a laptop whether they were performing the actions at a good pace and deeply enough.
“The students did their very best,” says teacher Lennart de Jonge of Esdal College. “They were first asked a number of questions about resuscitation and then they had to perform resuscitation on a manikin. Our scores were then compared with the rest of the Netherlands and it turned out that we did it the best.”
According to teacher Jody Zuur, the resuscitation course at the Emmen location is part of the BSM program. “That stands for Exercise, Sports and Society. In the upper grades, students can choose this and they also take school exams in it.”
The AED won will be given a place on the schoolyard. “We already have one in the gym and in the school itself. But you can have problems with your heart anywhere. The great thing about this AED is that local residents can also use it if necessary.”
Student Sophie emphasizes the importance of CPR knowledge: “I think it is quite important to be able to help someone if necessary. Of course you hope that it is not necessary, but it is nice to know how to act.”
David Hup of the Heart Safe School Foundation adds: “Unfortunately, many people only undergo training after they have experienced something in their own environment. But cardiac arrest can happen anywhere: on the street, at grandma and grandpa’s house or in an unexpected place. Then you don’t want to think afterwards: If only I had followed training.”