Enough Talk: Hills Officials Want Action on Issues

With a captive audience at an intergovernmental meeting held at , Farmington Hills city council members Ken Massey and Nancy Bates made impassioned pleas for movement on two issues close to their hearts.

For Massey, it's teaching cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in schools, to the point of adding it as a graduation requirement, as six states have done. Bates asked officials to take action on teen suicide prevention, particularly in providing students and parents with information about when, how and where to get help.

Massey, who trained as a paramedic, said that CPR administered to people whose hearts have stopped beating literally saves lives.

"For every one minute that I talk, you're 10 percent less likely to survive that (cardiac) event," he said Tuesday night. "Nationally, only about four percent of people survive a cardiac event outside the hospital."

The "number one way" to improve the odds, he added, is training in CPR. He cited statistics from King County in Washington, where a concerted effort to train all citizens in CPR increased the out-of-hospital survival rate to 20 percent. If the cardiac event was witnessed by someone who knew CPR, the survival rate climbed to 49 percent.

"Why? Because people got involved. That's what made the difference," he said.

Massey said it's easier than ever for people to learn, with the chest compression-only technique currently being taught. He added that instruction on how to use Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs), which can be used to convert irregular heart rhythms, is also needed.

Teaching CPR can also result in fewer cardiac events, as people also learn the signs and symptoms of a heart attack, and seek help earlier, Massey said. What's more, grant funding may be available to get students trained.

Without training for students, he said, "I personally feel very strongly that we are doing our community a disservice ... Let's take a bold step and require this."

Hills council member Barry Brickner suggested adding CPR training as a component of required community service. However, Farmington Schools Supt. Sue Zurvalec asked that the issue be referred to a small intergovernmental committee for further study. She had concerns about whether the district could add CPR as a requirement within the Michigan Merit curriculum high school graduation requirements.

"I think this is an opportunity for collaboration," she added, suggesting that a pilot program "may be something we can get off the ground."

Officials also agreed to arrange a public forum on suicide prevention. Bates said she, Massey and Hills council member Randy Bruce have organized a task force, which includes school and community representatives. Bates became alarmed last spring, after a report that 13 teenagers had been referred for medical treatment because they had either harmed themselves or threatened to do so.

While some officials have questioned whether focusing attention on teen suicide risks "copycat" suicides or attempts, Bates said, "Research shows not talking about it does cause suicides that could have been prevented."

She said most teen victims give clues before taking their lives, which are only seen after their deaths, because parents don't know what to look for. She urged action by stakeholders – from elected officials to parents, grandparents, coaches and Sunday school teachers – to ensure kids know where and how to get help.

"Are we going to do this, or are we going to pass on it until the next one?" Bates asked.

Farmington school board president Howard Wallach said the district would provide a location for a public meeting. "Pick your date, we'll make a building available," he said.

Zurvalec suggested the next step would be a planning meeting and involving the Parent Teacher Associations.