Edison High School’s FCCLA chapter organized a free health fair on June 14, teaching students essential emergency health skills that could potentially save lives.
The walk-in event, held from 9 am to 1 pm, included hands-on training in critical emergency techniques, such as the Heimlich maneuver, tourniquet application, Narcan administration for overdoses, and even CPR certification. Students learned from professional healthcare providers at four interactive stations.
Metuchen EMS demonstrated Narcan and EpiPen use, while Edison EMS covered choking response and wound care. An orthopedic office taught tourniquet application and bone splinting, and the American Heart Association provided hands-only CPR training.
Prayga Bhatia ‘26, Aashi Tamboli ‘26, and Keya Patel ‘26 organized the event as part of their FCCLA project.
“We’re aiming to teach high schoolers basic healthcare necessities and lifesaving skills,” said Tamboli.
The organizers chose emergency health skills because they recognized a gap in student knowledge.
-
EHS students practice applying Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and performing CPR in the event of a cardiac arrest.
-
EHS students learn about tourniquet application and bone splinting at the orthopedic stand.
-
A professional from the American Heart Association demonstrates the proper way to perform CPR.
-
Students learn about proper EpiPen and Narcan usage from the Metuchen EMS Squad.
-
EHS students practice safe life-saving techniques to earn their CPR certification.
“Most high schoolers don’t really know all of these things unless they’re taking first aid,” Bhatia said. “We wanted to make it accessible so people can learn all these different health topics”.
Students responded positively to the hands-on learning experience.
“I think it’s actually really cool. There’s so many fun things that I learned, especially since I’m interested in medicine,” Sahasra Chalamalasetti ‘27 said.
Gauri Bhatia, an EMT from the Metuchen EMS, emphasized the importance of the training.
“There’s a lot of situations some may encounter, especially students,” said Bhatia. “Just being aware about how they can take action is really important because on-site medical treatment is what determines if they even survive later on.”
Despite some initial challenges with organizers, the event successfully provided students with potentially life-saving skills.
“I’m really proud about how it turned out,” said Patel. “People will leave knowing a bit more about what to do in certain situations, and who knows, it might help them someday.”