Statement from HARRA Medical Adviser Dr. Bob Hoekman regarding HARRA's CPR/AED Program

“The time has come," the walrus said, "to talk of many things: Of shoes and ships - and sealing wax - of cabbages and kings” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass

I will get right to the message. Effective the end of 2018 I am resigning from the HARRA CPR/AED program and, to the best of my knowledge, the program as we know it now will end at that time.

I have been attempting to reduce my involvement and find someone willing to take it over and run it for several years but that has been unsuccessful. In addition, costs have gone up and HARRA funding for the program has come into question. To add insult to injury three of our AED units are now unusable because of a recall related to parts defects which could lead to failure of the unit when it is needed. Replacement would run nearly $8,000.00.

Finally, volunteer participation has decreased and it has become nearly impossible to adequately cover the larger events. There has always been turnover in the team but we are just not seeing new people entering as in the past.

HARRA started the program the summer of 1999 with one AED when Chiquita Taylor was Board President and we worked our first events that fall.  I appreciate the training and support for 19 years by Barry and Cheryl Ponder who trained me in 1999 and supported our program. The fact that no other program like this has existed says something about how difficult it is to support and run. I do not regret starting it. It was a lot of work but also was a lot of fun.

For many reasons I have concluded that I can no longer run it and it is obvious to me that it is time for me to wrap it up and move on.

I am not totally leaving Houston at this time and will still be seeing many of you at the races between October and May. Because our family is all in WA there is a good chance more of our time will be there as time goes by.

The HARRA Board has not made a final decision/commitment about the future from their standpoint. If a program continues in a limited fashion they will communicate that decision. I will continue to send emails and schedule teams for the HARRA events only through year end 2018.

I will not be scheduling any training classes in the future. It is possible  HARRA may be doing some with Dean Sokolow and Debbie Coles Shilcock teaching. If so they will announce it.

I want to thank everyone who has participated. There have been 780 volunteers trained in CPR/AED over the 19+ years. I appreciate Debbie and Dena helping in recent years. We have has some super volunteers and those have been recognized each year in the VVIP awards. I firmly believe this program was one of HARRA’s greatest accomplishments.

Feel free to share this with past team members, race directors and your clubs as I do not have a comprehensive email list of them all.

HARRA Medical Adviser
Robert Hoekman, M.D.
19 Crestwood #9
Houston, TX 77007
713-863-9525