Teachers Not Required to Know First Aid

Many states require teachers to know first aid. North Carolina is not oneof them. While some school districts provide free training to employees,it's all voluntary.

And to compound things in budget cutting times, many school districts usetraveling school nurses, nurses who visit only day week. Parents areraising the question, "Who is qualified to save my child?

We've seen how important seconds can be when it comes to medical emergencies.Sometimes it's what happens before the paramedics arrive that keeps someonealive. But what happens when there's no one trained to help and thatplace is your child's school?

Marla Peoples of the Franklin County Schools says educators are in a realpredicament because they see the importance of first aid certification,but it's not a requirement.

It's not a requirement for teachers or administrators to know CPR or basicFirst AID. Many teachers like Judy Stover have taken it upon themselvesto get certified.

"You have to have your eyes open every minute and be watching," saysStover. "You want them to have a great day and get home safe to theirparents."

Stover also believes as a parent and an educator, first aid should besomething the school boards should look at.

Bunn High School athletic trainer Thomas Morris says there's no tellingwhat could happen in the ten seconds or two minutes it takes to find theperson who has CPR training.

The North Carolina General Assembly just passed a law that says allstudents have to be taught CPR and the Heimlich manuever, but teachers arestill not included.

A spokesperson for the American Federation of Teachers says "a teacher'sjob is to teach, not to be a nurse." She blames budget cuts and schoolboards for a lack of safety.

Reporter:Bret Baier