Schools Emergency Plans

Cardiac Emergency Response Plans for Schools

The SADS Foundation recommends that every school should have a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (or an Emergency Response Plan) in place, which includes a plan for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and an automated external defibrillator (AED) in schools.

 

The SADS Foundation supports the following recommendations from the Cardiac Emergency Response Planning for Schools Policy statement of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) to develop and adopt Cardiac Emergency Response Plans in schools:

1. NASN recommends that all schools have a CERP in place, containing minimum, evidence-based core elements:

  • Establishing a cardiac emergency response team
  • Activating the team in response to a SCA
  • Implementing AED placement and routine maintenance within the school (similar to fire extinguisher protocols)
  • Disseminating the plan throughout the school campus
  • Maintaining ongoing staff training in  CPR/AED use
  • Practicing using drills (akin to fire and lockdown drills)
  • Integrating local EMS with the plan
  • Ongoing and annual review and evaluation of the plan

2. NASN recommends that state laws, regulations, and related educational standards require schools to develop and maintain a CERP and that appropriations are made available to support the development, implementation, and evaluation of CERPs in schools. Where related appropriations are lacking, CERPs should still be in effect, using indirect sources of community or EMS-related support.

Sample Plans

Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (MS Word Download)

Medical Emergency Response Plan Sample 1

Medical Emergency Response Plan Sample 2

Other Resources

Cardiac Emergency Response Planning for Schools- Policy statement (NASN)