School Staff To Be Trained On New Safety Kits At Central Regional

BERKELEY, NJ — To improve safety for all students and staff in the Central Regional School District, the district is planning to train staff on new Survival+ wound kits this week.

The special 45-minute training course has been scheduled for small groups of staff Oct. 18 at the high school at 12:30 p.m. and 1:15 p.m. and at the middle school at 1:15 and 1:30 p.m., the district announced in a news release. The wound kits and training are part of the district’s partnership with Survival+ For Schools, a not-for-profit.

Since she joined the district this past January, Superintendent Michelle CarneyRay-Yoder has made it her priority to ensure the safety of students and staff. So far, 40 of the kits have been purchased for use in both of the district schools, and she hopes to raise funds to purchase one for every classroom, plus high traffic areas like gymnasiums and auditoriums.

“My goal is to make sure that all of our faculty are properly trained on the use of the supplies in the kit in the event of an emergency,” CarneyRay-Yoder said. “I want to get as many of our staff trained as soon as possible.”

To raise the remaining $38,000 to purchase more kits, the district is asking parents and supporters to donate on a secure website page: https://www.centralreg.k12.nj.us/article/1559322

Survival+ For Schools Founder Stewart Krentzman said that first responder and a member of the Survival+ team, Robert Baran, Director of Emergency Services in Manchester, and his team will donate their time to train the staff at Central Regional. All monies raised by Survival+ as part of the fundraiser will go directly to Central Regional for the safety kits.

The training and safety kits will make sure that in the event of an emergency, these students, faculty, and staff can receive treatment before the emergency responders arrive, Krentzman said.

So far, Make Our Schools Safe, founded by the family of Alyssa Alhadeff following her death in the shooting at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, donated $10,000 to purchase safety kits and Baran has offered to donate his time for the training.

“The largest benefit is knowing that all teachers, administrators, support staff, and students will be trained in these lifesaving techniques, which allow victims to have the best overall chance at survival prior to the arrival of emergency services,” Baran said. "Placing the equipment and training for the whole school district is not only setting a new standard for educational facilities but pushing the boundaries on the advancement of school safety.”

The safety kits can be thrown across a hallway if needed.

For more information, please visit the Survival+ for Schools website: https://survivalplusforschools.org/.