Harlingen CISD rolls out districtwide medical emergency response plan, expands AEDs and CPR training

Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District health officials described a districtwide medical emergency management initiative to the Transformation Teaching and Learning Committee, saying campus-specific response templates, annual mock drills and expanded AED and CPR coverage are central to the plan.

"Our objective is is this. Our objective is to prepare and equip schools for emergencies by ensuring all campuses have the necessary equipment, reduce response time and improve outcomes, increasing the chance of survival in the case of an incident, ensure effective communication and collaboration, throughout, CISD employees and, first responders, outside entities like law enforcement, EMS," said Sylvia Loera, the district head nurse, while introducing the Medical Emergency Response Plan (MERP).

Loera said the MERP will be tailored for each campus and updated annually to reflect staffing changes. Principals must upload campus plans and are required to conduct at least one mock drill per year. The district’s first mock drill under the MERP at Bowie Elementary resulted in a reported time of "a minute and 23 seconds" from call to first shock with an AED; Loera noted the target is under three minutes. She praised campus participation and said principals will designate who calls 911, who fetches the AED and who handles parent notifications to ensure a uniform approach.

Loera thanked "Ms. Coffey and Ms. Reyes" and said a $5,000 grant from HAFE will help the district pursue Heart Safe recognition for campuses. She described Heart Safe criteria discussed with the board: camps must have an AED within a three‑minute walk of any point on campus, and campuses should have either five to ten individuals or roughly 10% of staff CPR‑certified. Loera said the district has placed at least one AED at every campus, added AEDs to many gyms in recent years, and is working to add AEDs in roughly eight remaining elementary gyms.

The presentation noted that district health services and other departments have certified more than 200 employees in the past two years and that certifications are renewed every two years. The district also runs in‑house CPR instruction (eight certified instructors in the nurses’ department) and is scheduling additional certification classes; Loera said Spanish‑language CPR classes have begun to serve Spanish‑dominant staff. Loera added the district will produce videos for students (third grade and up) showing AED locations on campus this semester.

Loera and board members discussed real incidents used as practice: she said Jefferson Elementary used a laceration call as the campus’s drill for the year, and that a prior Coakley Middle School incident required EMS but did not require AED shock. Board members asked about redundancy for designated roles, AED placement at district facilities such as Transportation and the warehouse, and the frequency and reach of training. Loera said contingency back‑ups are designated when primary staff are absent and that several non‑school facilities now have AEDs, including District Operations, Child Nutrition Warehouse, Transition Academy and the clothing closet.

The committee praised nursing staff for expanded training and community outreach; no formal board action was taken during the presentation.