Monday night at the LCMCISD School Board meeting, the board recognized Heidi Felix with the “Safety on the Move” Award. Safety on the Move is an innovative collaborative effort between Health Services, Transportation, and Maintenance at Little Cypress-Mauriceville CISD.
The award, created by LCM, recognizes those who have been instrumental in developing and implementing the program. Past winners include Trooper Jesse Bodiford, Robert Crane, Cori Burrell, and Butch and Justine Gaston.
Felix is the VP of Sales for LifeVac. LifeVac is an airway clearance device also known as a choking rescue device. It is a one-way suction system that can clear airways without the risk of pushing the obstruction deeper.
Director of Health Services and LCI School Nurse Kelly Meadows, said the relationship started when they were notified that they had a student with a weak esophagus causing at greater risk of choking . Meadows spoke with Robert Crane of Acadian who suggested the new LifeVac device.
Until that time the abdominal thrust was the only procedure being taught to school employees. Meadows said, “The idea of doing the abdominal thrust can be intimidating. The thought of having to do it against a person larger than you or if the person that is choking is in a precarious position. The LifeVac device has changed those thoughts because it can be used on anyone, regardless of the individual’s size or their position.”
Since LCM developed the Safety on the Move program, they have placed LifeVac devices in all schools as well as school vehicles. “We can never be too safe,” Meadows said. Fortunately they have never had to use one but Meadows said the district believes in being proactive.
Recently House Bill 549 passed requiring schools to make airway clearance devices available on each campus to address choking incidents. The bill mandates that at least one device appropriate for the student population be available, and requires at least one trained employee to be on-site when a substantial number of students are present.
Already having the installation and training, the Bears have worked with other schools to help them implement the Safety on the Move program and become compliant regarding House Bill 549. That includes the use and training with Bleeding Control Kits that are in each school. Safety on the Move involves four components-Bleeding Control Kits in every district owned vehicle, LifeVac Devices in every vehicle that transports students, fire blankets in every vehicle that transports a wheelchair and hands on training with the staff of the Maintenance and Transportation Departments on how to use these potentially life-saving devices.
“LifeVac and Heidi Felix, who flew in from New York to receive the award, have been a great company to work with,” said Meadows. “They’ve made our campuses and community safer.”
Above: Robert Crane -Acadian Operations Coordinator SETX, Kelly Meadows-LCM Director of Health Services, Heidi Felix- LifeVac VP of Sales, Georgia Nichols-Director of Transportation, Philip Matthews-Director of Maintenance, Stuart Moorman-Maintenance Supervisor.
-Gary Stelly, KOGT-
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