Arizona Program

Background

The Arizona Department of Health Services Bureau of EMS and Trauma System's Save Hearts in Arizona Registry and Education (SHARE) Program, and community partner Parent Heart Watch, the national voice protecting youth from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) and preventable sudden cardiac death (SCD), are working together to provide Arizona schools and club sport organizations with an Emergency Response Planning Guide for all after-school activities. This program, which is comprehensive yet easy to implement and maintain, allows our youth-serving community to be prepared for any after-school sport/club injury. The Anyone Can Save A Life Program was developed by the Minnesota State High School League with support from the Medtronic Foundation and was endorsed by the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) in June 2013.

Highlights

  • November 2011: Medtronic Foundation awards Parent Heart Watch – Arizona, in partnership with AZ SHARE, funding for Anyone Can Save A Life (ACSAL) emergency response program implementation.
  • September 2012: Arizona Athletic Association (AIA) approves partnership with AZ SHARE and Parent Heart Watch for ACSAL implementation for member schools.
  • April 2013: Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) mandates "host" playoff team to have a defibrillator on campus.View PDF
  • September 2013: Arizona Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association Fall 2013 Conference: 253 ACSAL workbooks are delivered to member schools.
  • September 2013: AIA posts ACSAL online workbook on "Academy" portal on website for member schools (272 total member schools have online access).
  • September 2013: 100 American Heart Association CPR Anytime kits, provided by the Medtronic Foundation, are distributed to 20 schools for hands-only CPR training demonstrations for students. 
  • October 2013: A.T. Still University Athletic Training Student Association student interns assist 25 AIA member schools in ACSAL program implementation.
  • November 2013: ACSAL training materials and workbook rollout begins to Arizona Fire Departments and Districts (100 workbooks delivered to date).
  • December 2013: AIA is presented with 6 AEDs for host schools from Parent Heart Watch.
  • January 2014: Parent Heart Watch donates an additional 6 AEDs to AIA member schools.
  • January 2014: AZ SHARE Academy: Official rollout to Arizona Fire and EMS. 250 attendees statewide will be involved in rollout to non-host AIA and non-member schools in Arizona.
  • May 2014: AIA Champions Awards Luncheon
  • February 2015: Half time activities during the State Basketball Tournaments included Hands-Only CPR Demonstrations, During Division III Girls, and Division I Girls games. Over 5,000 students, parents and visitors attended both games. View PDF
 
  • Rafael Rendon Rafael “Ralphie” R.
    On Oct. 6, 2009, Rafael “Ralphie” R., then a freshman at Ajo High School in Ajo, Ariz., was running across the field during football practice when his teammates saw him fall down and not get up.
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    His heart had stopped suddenly and the lack of blood flow to his brain caused him to pass out within seconds. Fortunately, a local paramedic who volunteered with the coaching staff ran onto the field and started chest compressions. “Everything went perfectly in synch—all of the local agencies worked calmly and professionally, even taking time to calm us down. This is a flat-out miracle given the remoteness of our town,” says Bridget R., Ralphie’s mother. Now a 19-year-old freshman at Arizona State University, Ralphie has returned to active sports, since his recovery from surgery to correct an anatomical abnormality in his heart.

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  • stories-az-Erika Y Erika Y.
    The day started like any other school day for Erika Y., a junior at University High School in Tucson. Erika and her band-section mates were enjoying dinner on the school grounds before band practice would start.
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    In the middle of dinner, however, her band mate, Chris M., suddenly collapsed onto the floor. This is when Erika, who learned compression-only CPR at the Girl Scout’s Camp Fury, jumped into action. “They shouted out asking if anyone knew how to resuscitate someone. None of the adults or students in the room knew, so I acted on impulse and took control,” explained Erika. She immediately began applying compressions to Chris. According to Erika, the three minutes it took for the ambulances to arrive “felt like 20 minutes, and I kept worrying that I would lose him because he was fading in and out.”

    Thanks to Erika’s quick response and the swift arrival of paramedics, Chris’ breathing returned and he was transported to the hospital. Erika received this important training at Camp Fury, the annual fire-fighting camp organized by Northwest Fire Department, Tucson Fire Department and Girl Scouts of Southern Arizona. “My experience at Camp Fury in particular, was the first that jumped to my memory in order to help Chris.

    I believe everyone should learn how to do compression-only CPR,” Erika urges.

 

Arizona Resources: