SOUTH BRUNSWICK - Each day, schools in the township see thousands of people pass in and out of their doors, and within each of them sits a heart that beats.

Out of concern for these hearts, the district revealed at the March 13 Board of Education meeting that the schools have successfully installed automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) in every building, at no taxpayer cost to residents.
According to Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction Joanne Kerekes, who presented this development to the board, there are enough AEDs in each building that in the event of a cardiac arrest, one is, at maximum, three minutes, round trip, from the nearest device.

At the beginning of the presentation, Kerekes stated that incidences of heart disease and factors contributing to heart disease have increased over the years, and measures that take this into account should be taken.

According to the American Heart Association, the number of children suffering from obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and other contributing factors to cardiac difficulties has been steadily rising over the years. Kerekes said during the presentation that 15 percent of children are overweight and 33 percent watch at least three hours of television a day.

Peter Cary, of the American Heart Association, said that it's not just students who would benefit from AEDs in the schools.
"Our position is that schools are very much like community centers. Adults need to be taken into account as well. People come in for sporting events and plays and Boy Scout meetings, and, well, the community population," said Cary.
Board member Matthew Speesler, who is also a physician, concurred.

"We have a lot of community events here and we have people trained in CPR and AED use, and I think it sends a message to the public that we take health seriously," said Speesler.

During the presentation, Kerekes stated that 66 percent of adults are also overweight.

According to Maribeth Edmunds, director of professional development for the district, the use of AEDs began, technically, in 2003 when a unit was donated to the school from the local ShopRite. In 2004, the district began discussing a policy of preparation and safety in the schools and in that same year, a task force to bring more AEDs into the schools was created. In 2005, the initial purchase of the devices was made with the help and encouragement of two school nurses, Peg Querec and Pam Weis.
The devices were bought by the county freeholders through the use of a $30,000 grant. Vivian Scavo was made the district AED coordinator, and she spoke of her efforts to train more staff in AED use before the board.

According to Scavo, 14 percent of staff in the district are currently trained in the use of these devices through drills. According to Director of Student Services George Scott, there is one device in each of the elementary school buildings, two in the middle school buildings, one with the athletic trainer, two in the board office, and five in the high school.

According to Nic Scerbo, who is the head of the physical education department in the high school, by the end of next year, all seniors will know CPR, and by the end of this coming summer, eight physical education teachers will be trained to teach CPR. Scerbo said that he would, ideally, like to see all seniors know how to use both an AED and perform CPR.

Board member Harry Delgado praised the decision, saying that the foresight with which it was made was admirable.
"We didn't wait for a tragedy to occur. ... That is a big deal, because it saves lives," said Delgado.