NJ Janets Law mandates AED Defibrillators on school grounds

Janet's Law

Janet’s Law requires public and nonpublic schools k-12 to have automated external defibrillators or AED onsite and establish emergency action plans for responding to sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) event.

Is my School in Compliance with Janet's Law?

"A school district or nonpublic school shall be deemed to be in compliance with this requirement if a State-certified emergency services provider or other certified first responder is on site at the event or practice”

This means a coach, athletic trainer, or any other licensed staff member.

Where should an AED be Placed?

An AED must be placed onsite in an unlocked location with an appropriate sign to identify it. It should be accessible during the school day and any other time such as an athletic event, including when practices is taking place. The defibrillator needs to be “within reasonable proximity of the school grounds and athletic field, as applicable.

We believe that reasonable proximity can be defined as any AED that can be retrieved and used within 90 seconds. For every minute that passes the chance of survival decreases 10 percent. Assuming the average person runs 5 miles per hour, in a lifesaving situation, an AED would need to be placed in a known position approximately 325 feet away from the epicenter of the SCA event to make sure the person is shocked in 90 seconds. The defibrillators need to be tested and maintained according to the manufacturer’s operational guidelines. If an AED is used, the proper reports must be made.

Janet’s Law about onsite AED defibrillators on school grounds also mandates that schools “shall establish and implement an emergency action plan (EAP) for responding to a sudden cardiac event including, but not limited to, an event in which the use of an automated external defibrillator may be necessary.

Janet's Law Emergency Action Plan (EAP) Guidelines

Your school’s emergency action plan (EAP) must contain these items:

A List of at least 5 faculty members with CPR/AED certifications from a qualified source
Detailed procedures on SCA events
Calling 9-1-1
Starting CPR
Getting and Using an AED
Assisting rescue responders on finding the sudden cardiac arrest victim

The Easy Road to Janet's Law Compliance

As with any new purchase of a product with this level of involvement, a considerable amount of education is needed to make a smart decision. Please feel free to call us at 1-888-242-4259 or visit our website at www.FirstAid.org for more information.

Can I Be Sued?

Legal Liability & the Good Samaritan

What about the legal liability of CPR. Not for doing it, or for not doing it. Sorry for the tongue twister, but you heard it right: some preliminary research, presented at the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium 2019 in November, actually indicated there was a higher legal risk for not doing CPR compared to when CPR is attempted.

A review of 170 legal cases from 1989 to 2019 in which CPR was attempted or withheld, and resulted in a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit, had surprising results. The majority of them were related to delayed or inadequate CPR with only a handful related to the performance of CPR. Also surprising were the monetary damages paid with about $120,000 paid when CPR was done and $620,000,000 paid when it was delayed or not done at all!

Now that I have your attention, it might be helpful to do a brief refresher on the legal considerations CPR and first aid trained providers face, and, most importantly, the effect that legal fears have on the willingness for a trained bystander to get involved in a medical emergency.

The short version of the point we all need to make with our students in our CPR, AED, and first aid training classes is that legal liability is almost non-existent if someone acts prudently and within the scope of the training they received.

The reason this is so important is that many trained bystanders are deciding not to get involved in medical emergencies. A big part of that is the fear of liability.

Primarily, CPR and first aid training guidelines have been developed to emphasize knowledge and skills that help, but do not create further harm. Medical treatments, such as surgical procedures and giving medications, are indicated as beyond the ability of first aiders to provide.

Historically, first aid providers are looked at as good Samaritans as described in the Book of Luke in the Christian Bible, providing immediate help to someone in need with no compensation in return. Over time, protections for bystanders who help in a medical emergency have strengthened through legal precedence. Good Samaritan laws and administrative rules have been established to explain these protections.

Finally, with modern day EMS, the responsibilities of those trained in CPR and first aid have a very limited timeframe in which to help, decreasing the need to provide detailed or extended care.

All in all, CPR and first aid skills are simple, designed to do no more harm in a limited period of time, and have a proven track record to not result in legal liability. Trained bystanders need to have confidence in this.

Perhaps it is easier to explain why a person would be at risk when helping in an emergency, rather than why they would not.

As mentioned above, trained providers need to act within the scope of the training they have received. Exceeding this opens the door to liability, especially when actions can result in unexpected threats and harm to the ill or injured person. Most Americans live in a tiered system of care in which more advanced training and skills are quickly available from responding EMS providers, eliminating the need for higher levels of care from bystanders.

It is unfortunate that it needs to be mentioned, but intentional actions of harm or completely misguided actions are not protected. If a person intentionally or without a clue hurts another, regardless of whether an emergency exists or not, liability protection is unlikely.

Fortunately, compensation is an unlikely situation for most CPR and first aid trained providers. Good Samaritan legal protections are based on the premise that there is no expectation of compensation for the actions taken in an emergency. This should be a consideration when first aid providers are obligated and compensated in some manner to provide first aid services, such as with an organized industrial emergency response team. That is a whole separate area of discussion regarding the legal concept of duty to act.

To return to the article on liability, maybe we should frame up this space of legal protection: that a trained provider, who acts prudently and without expectation of compensation, has enormous legal protection when helping in an emergency, and that the confidence in this can make a decision to not help a moot point.

There are some great online resources for additional information on Good Samaritan Laws and AED liability.

And, if you are looking for more detailed information, consult a lawyer…

Thanks for being out there and doing what you are doing.

Facts About Lyme Disease

The first diagnosis of Lyme Disease was made in a resident of Lyme, Connecticut in 1975. Over the decades, the seriousness of this debilitating tick-borne disease has made many people weary of wandering outdoors during seasons when ticks are active. If you live in the Northeast or upper Midwest states, there’s a good chance you know someone who has had a Lyme Disease diagnosis. A decade after being diagnosed in people, Lyme Disease was first recognized as a condition that also affects dogs.
What exactly is Lyme Disease?
Lyme Disease is an infectious disease that is caused by the bacteria Borrelia burgdorferi, which is found in several varieties of ticks, but is mostly associated with the common deer tick. The disease is transmitted when a tick carrying the bacteria bites a dog—or human—and feasts on the host’s blood. It should be noted that not all deer ticks carry the disease, and not all bites from infected deer ticks successfully transmit the disease. For the bacteria to be passed into a dog, the tick must have been attached to the dog for about 48 hours. So if a tick is removed from a dog shortly after he is bitten, there’s a good chance the dog will not contract the disease. However, deer ticks are extremely tiny and are difficult to see, especially when covered by a dog’s fur. Your vet is trained to spot and remove ticks. If you happen to notice a tick on your dog and want to attempt to remove it, use small tweezers and carefully grasp the tick where it is making contact with the dog’s skin. Then gently lift the tick away. If you suspect that it’s a deer tick, take your dog—and the tick—to the vet for examination.
What are the symptoms?
Lyme Disease isn’t easy to diagnose, especially in senior dogs, because the initial symptoms can be mistaken for other conditions, such as arthritis. Lyme Disease symptoms include limping—which can shift from one leg to another—swelling of lymph nodes, lethargy, loss of appetite, and fever. Initially, the affected dog may simply experience mild joint and muscle discomfort in his limb(s). However, the pain can become severe over time, and multiple joints can be involved Even with treatment, Lyme Disease can cause permanent joint damage. There have also been reports of severe progressive kidney disease linked to Lyme Disease.
Is there treatment for Lyme Disease?
Lyme Disease is generally treated with antibiotics. In many cases, affected dogs respond well to those meds. However, if treatment is halted too soon, the dog may get a relapse. Even in dogs that show full recovery, the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease may still be present in their bodies, even though the dog no longer displays the symptoms of the disease. Senior dogs with severe cases of arthritis—in addition to Lyme Disease—and those dogs that are severely affected may also be treated with pain relievers.
How can Lyme Disease be prevented?
Since Lyme Disease is serious and can be debilitating, dog owners want to take measures to prevent their pets from contracting the disease. Here are a few things you can do to help minimize your dog’s chance of getting Lyme Disease.
Avoid areas that are likely to be tick infested. During the seasons when ticks are active, try to avoid taking your dog into heavily wooded areas or other places where large deer populations live.
Spray your immediate home/lawn area with an appropriate insecticide. If you decide to use an anti-tick spray, make sure it’s safe for dogs.
Vaccinate your dog. If you live in a high-risk region, ask your vet about the latest generation of Lyme Disease vaccinations. He may recommend one that he deems effective.
Use a topical anti-tick insecticide. There are currently several brands of topical insecticides on the market. They generally help in two ways:
(1) By repelling ticks, and (2) By killing ticks that manage to attach themselves to dogs. Ask your vet about the brands he recommends. Please note that most flea and tick collars are not effective against the ticks that cause Lyme Disease. Only collars with amitraz have been shown to kill the ticks that spread this disease.
If you live in-or your dog has visited-a Lyme Disease hot spot and suspect that he is suffering from this condition, do not hesitate to take him to the veterinarian for an examination.

Cold Weather & Your Dog's Skin

Winter weather can be harsh on your dog's skin, especially if he's a senior. As dogs age, their oil-secreting glands slow down, making them prone to dry skin. The cold winter air and dry indoor heat only aggravate the condition, causing itching and flaking that may lead to constant scratching, biting or licking.

To help your pet survive the winter with a healthy skin and coat, follow these suggestions:

Use a room humidifier. The air in most houses becomes dry during the colder months, which depletes moisture from your dog's skin and fur. A humidifier adds needed moisture to the air.

Keep baths to a minimum. Bathing removes essential oils from the skin and can increase the chance of developing flaky skin. When you bathe your senior dog, use a moisturizing shampoo from the pet store. Human soaps and shampoos are formulated for human skin pH and may cause dry, irritated, itchy skin. Dry him with thick towels before taking him outdoors. A blow drier at this age can be harsh on dry skin. Consult with your vet about the recommended number of baths per month for your dog.

Brush your dog regularly. Brushing improves skin, coat and circulation. Plus, clean fur lofts and holds warmth in much the same way that layering clothes does.

Never shave your dog down to the skin. It's fine to give your dog a trim, but for added warmth, be sure to leave his coat a little longer in the winter.

Give your dog fatty-acid supplements. Older dogs may no longer produce enough of the fatty acids needed to keep their skin and coat healthy. Start the supplements several weeks before cold weather sets in to provide the cells of the skin with necessary nutrients.

Increase his food if he's very active. If your dog engages in a lot of outdoor activities, you may need to feed him more of his regular food to provide added energy and keep his coat thick and healthy.

Buy him a coat. Senior dogs need extra protection from winter weather. Unless your dog has his own thick fur, put a warm sweater or coat and booties on your dog when he goes out on very cold days.

Dry winter skin is a problem for many dogs but it doesn't have to be. With a little help from you, your pooch can have a healthy coat and a scratch-free winter

News Articles

News Transcript 5.29.19

Asbury Park Press 10.2016

News Transcript, May 29

· Submitted Content May 28, 2019

The off-site training company First Aid & CPR, LLC, Manalapan, has donated two automated external defibrillators (AED) to the township of Manalapan. Founder, CEO and National Director of Training Steve Ross of Manalapan has been offering training in CPR/AED, first aid and other safety skills through his company since 2011. According to a press release, Ross realized the Manalapan Community Center and the Manalapan Senior Center each lacked an AED, which is a lightweight, portable device that delivers an electric shock through the chest to the heart. The shock can potentially stop an irregular heartbeat and allow a normal rhythm to resume following sudden cardiac arrest. The company teaches first aid and CPR, pet first aid and CPR, courses for businesses such as restaurant safety, active shooter awareness, babysitting courses and mor

Asbury Park Press 10.2016

When did you decide you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

At age 8, I started working in my family business in Brooklyn. This bialy and bagel bakery intrigued me, even at this tender age. I dreamed of one day owning it myself and making it the pride of Brooklyn! And, I did just that from 1982 thru 2010. After closing my store, I decided to build a business to save lives.

Why did you start this business?

I had been involved with emergency services since I was 17. I worked as a volunteer EMT in Brooklyn for 10 years before moving to Manalapan. Here, I joined the local volunteer first aid squad and volunteer fire company. Since 1980, I’ve been teaching CPR and first aid to emergency service personnel and community members. This passion was realized when I closed my bakery in New York. I decided to start offering training in these life-saving skills. When I taught for hospitals, the students were nervous about learning these skills and the environment was not user-friendly. So I started First Aid & CPR LLC in 2011 as an offsite company.

My services are performed at people’s homes, businesses and organizations, where the environment is friendly and comfortable. Learning these dire skills in such venues reduces students’ anxiety and stress and increases their ability to absorb the knowledge and practice the skills with much greater efficacy. We are one of the few companies that offer training from the American Heart Association, American Red Cross, National Safety Council and the American Health & Safety Institute. These are the only organizations that are recognized throughout the United States. First Aid & CPR LLC offers training in CPR/AED, first aid, pet first aid & CPR and defensive driving to name a few. Defensive driving courses are offered from our sister company, Defensive Driving USA LLC, founded in 2015.

Where there any challenges that made you think twice about striking out on your own?

No. The biggest challenge of any entrepreneur is the startup process; most importantly, spreading the word! I was able to purchase my equipment, but word-of-mouth advertising takes time. The biggest obstacle was competition. Once I had taught a few classes, my name and reputation began to spread.

If you could do it again, what would you do differently?

Nothing. I believe starting a business slow and steady with the highest acumen about your product/service is the ideal way to start a successful business. I’m extremely happy with my life and my business. My best friend/partner is by my side and encourages me on a daily basis. She is also an instructor and my office manager. I’m a lucky man.

What’s the best business advice you have ever received?

I was raised in a family business and worked diligently with my dad. He taught me that hard work, a friendly attitude and striving daily to retain happy customers is the best course of business. I heeded this advice and am forever grateful to my father.

What personality trait helps you the most?

A sense of humor, confidence and a positive disposition. These are life-saving skills that I teach. If I can help my students feel at ease with and connected to me, with an eagerness to learn, and then I have done my job well.

What’s the hardest part of the job?

There is no hard part to this job. I love what I do. There is a saying, “Do what you love and you will never work a day in your life” and this pertains to me.

The easiest?

Not necessarily the easiest, but the best part of my job is having my students tell me how they loved the class and the confidence they now have in the event they need to perform any of the lifesaving skills I taught them.

What surprised you the most about running the business?

Nothing really surprised me about running a business as I had done it before. Having a great partner (in life and business) didn’t surprise me, but it certainly opened my eyes as to how happy an entrepreneur can really be. Happiness breeds success; not the other way around.

Describe your most unusual customer, job or work experience.

There are too many to cite. One unique CPR training was done at a home. The client had a barbeque party and the training was offered to 12 people in their backyard on the lawn. Another was a pet class; yes, we offer pet first aid and CPR courses. The training was offered as a fundraiser for a nonprofit and we did three classes in one day. The nonprofit made over $1,300 and had three people pose interest in joining their organization. My most challenging class included a gentleman confined to a wheelchair. It took time and persistence, but we worked hard together and he was able to complete the skills and receive his certification. It is those students that bring great joy and satisfaction to my livelihood.

How would you like the business to grow and change?

We continue to get calls from new and past clients asking for information and scheduling classes daily. We do no advertising; everything is by word of mouth. I train new instructors every few months and every year we continue to grow. I am grateful and excited about our steady growth over the past five years. I don’t anticipate any change. Every time we teach, we are potentially saving lives.

In one sentence, tell us why customers should go there.

They will learn lifesaving skills in a friendly, comfortable and non-classroom environment as we come to them with the very best hands-on training, instruction and equipment.

What do you love about the community where your business is located?

I’ve lived in Manalapan for nearly 30 years. My business, friends and family are here. Working with local officials, emergency services and businesses make this a community I’d never want to leave.

When you leave work, do you leave the office behind, or are you always in contact?

I don’t leave work as I am never working. If my partner/office manager is not in the office, calls and emails go directly to our cellphones. The only time we do not answer the phone is when we are teaching. If a client leaves a message, calls are usually returned within a couple of hours. My partner and I have learned how to strike a balance between our business and our private lives.

What do you do in your time off?

I am a volunteer Firefighter/EMT. When off duty, I enjoy gardening, visiting with friends and family, cooking and traveling with my partner as often as we can. She’s my best friend and we love spending time together, whether watching movies on TV or taking a road trip to a neighboring state or flight out of the country for vacation.

When you leave the business behind someday, what will you do?

I don’t plan to leave my business. First Aid & CPR LLC is my baby and I love what I do. I currently have over 30 instructors, with more being added semi-annually. If I decide to move from this area, I can manage my business from anywhere, by sending instructors to teach in other states. It’s part of the glory of being an entrepreneur! Why do anything other than what you love to do?

Small Business Spotlight runs Mondays. If you’re a small-business owner in Monmouth and Ocean counties interested in taking part in this Q&A, contact business producer Dennis P. Carmody at dcarmody@gannettnj.com.

FIRST AID & CPR LLC

Describe your business: Offsite CPR/AED, first aid, pet first aid, defensive driving training and certification company

Owner: Steve Ross

Location: Based in Manalapan; our instructors come to you

Phone: 888-242-4259

Website: www.FirstAid.org

Founded: 2011

Asbury Park Press 7.2017

Asbury Park Press 10.2016

Asbury Park Press 7.2017

Learn CPR: How one mother saved her newborn

Olivia Sylvester, @ofsylvesterPublished 5:00 a.m. ET July 4, 2017 | Updated 7:54 a.m. ET July 13, 2017

When Cadence Hulme of Freehold took a baby CPR class, she never dreamed that a short time later she would save her newborn.

After Hulme's son, Jack, was born prematurely in their home, she and her husband, Brian, took quick action to ensure the newborn was healthy and breathing while waiting for the ambulance. They swept his mouth to ensure a clear airway and listened for breath sounds, as the course taught them to do.

While she was pregnant, Hulme took a CPR class on adult and infant life-saving skills taught by Steve Ross, owner of First Aid & CPR in Manalapan, at the Manalapan Babies R Us. Ross organizes CPR classes in about 50 Babies R Us stores across eight states that are especially helpful for expecting parents, parents, and grandparents.

"I would not have known what to do," Hulme said. "Just those instant skills were absolutely life-saving because we didn't even know if he was alive or not. It was a scary couple of seconds."

Jack spent nine days in the NICU before being released, and he is now a healthy and happy 10-month old.

Asbury Park Press 8.2014

Asbury Park Press 7.2017

Will schools be ready to save lives

Published 7:08 p.m. ET Aug. 31, 2014

Public and private schools in the State of New Jersey are becoming compliant with Janet's Law with the help of First Aid & CPR, LLC.

President/CEO and lead instructor Steve Ross expressed enthusiasm about this new law. Almost two years ago, Governor Chris Christie, signed Janet's Law which takes effect on September 1, 2014. Acting to safeguard the lives of New Jersey's K-12 students, Governor Chris Christie signed "Janet's Law," requiring all public and nonpublic schools to have automated external defibrillators (AED) on site. In addition, the new law (A-1608) calls for schools to establish emergency action plans to respond to sudden cardiac events, in order to be as prepared as possible to deal with life-threatening emergencies. The law is named in memory of Janet Zilinski, an 11-year-old resident from Warren who died of sudden cardiac arrest following cheerleading squad practice. This law, Ross says, "will require all schools, public and private, to have a minimum of 5 teachers CPR/AED trained and at least 1 AED or defibrillator within 90 seconds or 325 feet of any part of the school grounds". Hopefully, Ross adds, "this will lead to having ALL teachers and staff of every school, to get trained. We can go to a fitness facility to work out and every staff member is CPR/AED certified, but drop your child off at school and you hope that in the event of an emergency, when time is of the essence, someone is there to start this lifesaving skill".

For the past year, First Aid & CPR, LLC, www.FirstAid.org, has been traveling to all parts of the state of New Jersey training teachers and staff American Heart Association CPR and the use of the defibrillator. To date, they have trained close to 1000 teachers and over 30 public and private schools.

The company may be reached now to schedule classes. The instructors work days, nights and weekends. First Aid & CPR, LLC donates back a portion of its proceeds for fundraising events. Instructors teach all across the state of NJ, and in some cases, outside NJ. The company's courses are sponsored by the American Heart Association and the National Safety Council, to name a couple and are an approved training center. They are also an Authorized Distributor of HeartSine Defibrillators.

First Aid & CPR, LLC was founded by Steve Ross, a volunteer firefighter with 35 years of Emergency Services experience. The company teaches people First Aid & CPR for people and pets, and is an off-site company which brings the training to you.

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Asbury Park Press 8.2014

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Asbury Park Press 8.2014

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