First aid basics for families
Scouts, FAS, State Police offer free March 27 workshop
BY JENNIFER KOHLHEPP Staff Writer
Community children have an opportunity to learn basic first aid that could help them save a life in an emergency situation.

ERIC SUCAR staff Girl Scout Olivia Bullock, 12, demonstrates the Heimlich maneuver on fellow Scout Stephanie Obusek, 11, at the Millstone Township First Aid Squad building on March 11.

Millstone Township Girl Scout Troop 307 has partnered with the Millstone Township First Aid Squad and the New Jersey State Police to host a free workshop for children in grades three-eight to learn first aid basics.

Through demonstrations, hands-on activities and information stations at the Millstone Township Community Center from 6 to 8 p.m. March 27, children will gain basic useful knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the Heimlich maneuver, automated external defibrillator (AED) machines and calling 911. The Girl Scouts will assist members of the township's volunteer first aid squad and state police at each station.

Girl Scout Troop 307 leaders Paula Kinsey and Patricia Iuzzolino said the troop is hosting the demonstration as the final part of its Bronze Award project, which is necessary for members to bridge to the next level of scouting.

ERIC SUCAR staff Girl Scout Alex Kinsey, 12, practices first aid on a training mannequin at the Millstone First Aid Squad building on March 11.

"It's a good thing for the community," Kinsey said. "The girls came up with the idea."

The Scouts worked with Donna O'Leary, president of the First Aid Squad and CPR instructor, who provided them with a four-hour workshop at the first aid building Nov. 18, where they learned the basics of CPR, the Heimlich maneuver and AED machines. O'Leary also gave them a tour of the ambulance and discussed many situations where basic knowledge of first aid and a clear head would come in handy.

O'Leary said the Scouts received the entire CPR course and that she would have liked to certify the girls, but certification requires a person to be able to complete 30 compressions in a short amount of time.

"They can't do the full compressions," O'Leary said. "The strength factor is not there."

ERIC SUCAR staff Top: Members of Millstone Girl Scout Troop 307 practice the proper use of an automated external defibrillator at the Millstone First Aid Squad building on March 11. Bottom: The Scouts learn the proper cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques to use on an infant.

O'Leary said the Scouts are prepared to help in the event of an emergency until paramedics arrive at the scene.

"They learned that the quicker you administer CPR that there is more of a chance for survival," O'Leary said. "They learned the value of the AED, and if one is available, how to apply and activate it, which also increases the survival rate."

O'Leary said she hopes the Scouts program at the community center will not only educate children about first aid basics, but will also get more community members interested in volunteering with the First Aid Squad.

Girl Scout Troop 307 members Olivia Bullock, Lucy Gilch, Courtney Henig Kimberly Iuzzolino, Alexandra Kinsey, Megan Napp, Stephanie Obusek, Sydney Schubert, and Jenna Beth Wincek want to pass the information they learned from O'Leary on to other kids in the community.

Olivia, 12, said, "It's important to know first aid because if you are alone with a friend and something happens, you may take action as soon as possible," she said.

Jenna, 11, said community children will enjoy learning about first aid at the stations and that what they learn will help them be prepared for an emergency.

"If someone goes down near them, they would know what to do and the person would have more of a chance of survival," Stephanie, 11, added.

Courtney, 11, said Girl Scouts has provided her troop members with various ways to express themselves while learning important lessons and getting to help others. Besides completing the badge work necessary for their Bronze Award, the troop has also participated in community cleanups, collected goods for the less fortunate and made cookies for and sang to local senior citizens.

Sydney, 12, said the troop looks forward to educating other kids on the importance of knowing what to do in an emergency at the upcoming seminar.

"Adults aren't the only people who can save other people," she said.

The Scouts will offer a continuous rotation of stations, enabling the public to arrive anytime from 6 to 8 p.m. Refreshments will be provided and adult supervision is required.

In related news, Millstone Township Girl Scout Troop 1767 recently completed its Bronze Award project by making toiletry kits for the pediatric intensive care unit at St. Peter's Hospital in New Brunswick.

The kits contained shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, soap, lotion and other supplies donated by the Scouts and their families and businesses such as Johnson and Johnson, L'Oreal, Church & Dwight and Guest Supply.

The Scouts also held a holiday fair and bake sale to raise money for additional items.

The Scouts made over 200 kits and donated leftover items to Open Door in Freehold, St. Joseph's Church in Millstone, and a shoebox for soldiers project underway at a Jackson Township elementary school.