Heartbeat of a Community: Esko's Lifesaving Lessons in Cardiac Readiness

In the quiet town of Esko, MN, the importance of preparedness in the face of cardiac emergencies has been brought into sharp focus by the dedicated efforts of Tom Nooyen, an Athletic Trainer with Essentia, and Chad Stoskopf, Esko’s Athletic Director.

With over 26 years of experience responding to medical emergencies in schools, Nooyen emphasizes the critical nature of immediate action during cardiac events.

"If CPR isn’t performed for five minutes, you’ve already lost a 50% chance."

Nooyen added that cardiac arrests do not discriminate by age, race, or gender.

The community of Esko knows the pain of such emergencies all too well, following the tragic loss of Jackson Pfister, a sophomore football player who collapsed during a game in 2019 due to  congenital heart disease.

This event, among others, has galvanized Nooyen and Stoskopf to champion rigorous emergency preparedness within the school district.

Stoskopf, with over two decades of experience in the district, meticulously coordinates the school's emergency action plans, which are a blend of CPR training, AED retrieval, and clear roles for calling emergency services.

Stoskopf's partnership with the Minnesota State High School League (MSHSL) further ensures that such comprehensive emergency action plans are not just a local initiative but a standardized requirement across schools.

"It’s a requirement of every school to have in place, and it’s just a matter of us making sure that it happens."

Stoskopf detailed the process of assigning roles and practicing the emergency action plan within the first week of practice.

"You have different kids assigned to retrieving the AED, you have a different group of kids assigned to start CPR, you have a group of kids that are responsible for calling 911, other kids meet EMS and escort them to the site of the incident.”

The commitment to preparedness extends beyond the athletic field. Sue Northey, Esko's Girls Varsity Basketball Coach and a health educator, oversees the school’s CPR/AED instruction, confidently stated:

"We probably have trained over 2,000 students in our community."

This educational initiative ensures that knowledge and readiness transcend the school environment, preparing students for real-life scenarios where they might be the first responders.

Through their work, they not only honor the memory of those lost, like Jackson Pfister, but also safeguard the lives of countless others in their community.

Delve deeper into their story to understand how Esko is leading the charge in cardiac event preparedness and training.