SafetyNet of Florida Offers Precautions For Sudden Cardiac Arrest During Football

Paul Bateman, president of SafetyNet of Florida, a company that provides CPR and First Aid training throughout North and Central Florida, warns of increased chances of young athletes of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) during football practice and games.

Citing information from The Sports Institute of the University of Washington College of Medicine, Bateman reports that about one or two in every 100,000 young athletes experience sudden cardiac arrest each year. Most victims are males and more than half are African American. Plus more than two-thirds of the athletes who died from SCA are football and basketball players.

SCA is not the same as a heart attack. It is the result of a structural or electrical disorder in the heart that can lead to potentially lethal arrhythmia. The first sign is usually a collapse during a practice or game.

During games and practices, schools need to have an action plan in order to take precautions to minimize the risk of death. SafetyNet offers a 5-point plan every school should use.

1)    Know the location of AEDs (automated external defibrillator) near the games fields;

2)    Make sure you are in a cell area where you can call 9-1-1;

3)    Make sure trainers and coaches are trained in CPR and AED use;

4)    Know the emergency routes to the game field;

5)    Designate staff members to meet and direct emergency responders and to stay with the athlete even to the hospital in case a parent is not president.

Bateman, former Battalion Chief for the Putnam County Fire Department, is the founder and president of SafetyNet. His company provides all levels of CPR and AED training to Florida businesses, manufacturers, the medical profession and to schools and organizations. For more information, visit SafetyNetFlorida.com.

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Judge Wilkinson Informs The Community On Complexities Of The Judicial System

The judicial system in Northeast Florida, as it is all over the country, can be a complex and confusing process. For individuals and businesses, the system doesn’t go a rapidly as we would think. That’s why you have to give credit to Circuit Court Judge Gary Wilkinson for his efforts to inform the community on this complex process. In his off time, Judge Wilkinson volunteers as a teacher for courses on the judicial process at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), part of the Division of Continuing Education at the University of North Florida. Judge Wilkinson points out various causes that affect the process, such as the fact that any time an attorney files a motion, a judge may not see it unless or until a hearing is scheduled. With thousands of cases per judge, there is not enough time for a judge to review every legal action in a case until a hearing. If you would like to know more about how our courthouse works, you may want to sign up for one of the many interesting courses offered at OLLI. For more information, visit https://www.unf.edu/ce/olli. And be sure to thank Judge Wilkinson for taking extra time to inform the community about our judicial system. The Judge is on the right in this “Lunch with Les” photo. 

Woody’s BBQ Franchise Owner Jack Dunsmoor Credits His Success To A Great Management Team

Good management and a culture based on pleasant attitudes have been the key to success for Jack Dunsmoor’s Woody’s Bar BQ franchises. Jack, a 45-year veteran of the restaurant business, has been watching the pressures placed on his fellow restaurateurs due to employee turnover and the $15 minimum wage issue. “I meet with owners of other franchises from time to time and we compare notes,” Jack reported. “Employee issues are the reason you see some of these chains going to self-serve technology and automated kitchens.” But Jack believes the real answer lies with his management team. His managers have been with him for many years (average turnover is 2 ½ years). He supports and encourages them, treating them like family, which in turn, cultivates an environment based on providing customers with the best possible dining experience. Restaurants, including his, have done well this year with the improved economy. Jack began his career with Quincy Steak House, and then went on to Firehouse Subs, the Times Grill, and then owning two Woody’s, one on Powers Avenue and one in Macclenny. In this “Lunch with Les” photo, Jack is pictured with his management staff at his Powers Avenue location.