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Sewanhaka board adopts districtwide safety plan; highlights AED access and Dacia’s Law training
Summary
The Sewanhaka Central High School District Board approved its districtwide school safety plan after a public hearing and presentation outlining new cardiac emergency response requirements under Dacia’s Law, expanded AED training and signage, and a January deadline to update the district-level plan.
The Sewanhaka Central High School District Board of Education on Aug. 26 approved the districtwide school safety plan after a public hearing and a presentation on implementing new state requirements for cardiac emergency response.
Administrative assistant Zachary Breen told the board that New York State Education Department guidance and Nassau BOCES materials prompted the district to add a cardiac emergency response plan (CERP) and related procedures to building-level safety plans. “Everything we do is in conjunction with New York State Education Department and the Nassau County, BOCES. And we have terrific relationships,” Breen said, describing regular coordination with local law enforcement.
Why it matters: the updated plan adds procedures intended to shorten response time during cardiac emergencies, expands training on automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and formalizes where AEDs are placed and how staff and volunteers will be trained.
Breen said the district currently has 56 AEDs distributed across its buildings, with each building having about seven or eight units and additional devices at athletic events and press boxes. “Right now, we have 56 across the district,” he said. The plan calls for broader training over the coming months: all coaches, security staff, administrators and nurse’s-office personnel will be trained, and the district expects to recruit faculty volunteers for initial-day training. The district also plans live situational drills and increased signage to make AED locations easier to find.
Breen explained that the changes were driven in part by “Dacia’s Law,” implemented by the state in July 2025, which requires districts to include cardiac emergency response planning in their safety protocols. He said the law emphasizes not just placement of AEDs but certification and practice so that staff know how to use equipment when seconds matter.
Board action: Board President (chairing the meeting) asked for a motion to open the districtwide school safety-plan public hearing; the motion was moved by Miss O’Donohue and seconded by Mr. Jacob. The board closed the hearing later in the meeting and then moved to approve the updated districtwide school safety plan. The approval motion was moved by Miss O’Donohue and seconded by Miss Peltonin. The board voted “Aye”; the clerk announced “Motion carries.” (The transcript records that the motions carried; no roll-call tallies were read aloud in the meeting transcript.)
What remains: Breen said the district-level safety plan still needs to be updated to incorporate the state requirements and that update must be completed by Jan. 20. Building-level plans already include a CERP section that will be further refined. The board indicated the district will continue coordinating training and signage rollout and working with Nassau County Police, Floral Park Police and other partners.
Board members and staff invited public questions during the hearing; staff answered questions about AED counts, placement and whether students might be trained. Breen said student training “would be a discussion with our cabinet” and that the district would consider it.
The board closed the public hearing and approved the districtwide school safety plan during the Aug. 26 meeting.
