Clara Maass Donates Five Defibrillators To Belleville Schools

To promote student safety and help prevent cardiac deaths among student-athletes, Clara Maass Medical Center Foundation has donated five Automatic External Defibrillators to the Belleville School District.

The defibrillators, which cost more than $9,000, were presented at Monday night’s Belleville Board of Education meeting by Mary Ellen Clyne, President and Chief Executive Officer of Clara Maass Medical Center and Jane Kessler, Vice President of Clara Maass Medical Foundation.

“There is a growing public awareness about sudden cardiac deaths occurring among students,” President Clyne said. "With the addition of these five new AED devices, the district will be able to have additional resources during any student or adult heart

Belleville School District Athletic Director Tom D’Elia said the district requested the AED devices to have them available for students playing sports.

Previously, there was one portable AED available that was with the district’s athletic trainer. With the addition of the new AED devices, there will always be one close by to where student athletes are playing.

 “It is to ensure those few vital seconds – once a student or adult goes into cardiac arrest – that the defibrillator is just seconds away,” D’Elia said.

D’Elia said the new devices will be placed at the high school gymnasium, at each of the two middle school gymnasiums, at Clearman Field – where students play softball and soccer; and at the Belleville Municipal Stadium, where students play D’Elia said all of the coaches at the district, which has 4,700 students, are certified in both CPR and how to use AED devices.

Jane Kessler, Vice President of CMMC Foundation, added, “Our foundation has been working cooperatively with the school district for months to make this dream come true for them. We’re just delighted to support such a worthwhile venture."