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Hiawatha board reviews cardiac emergency response plan; schools to expand AED access and staff training
Summary
District staff described a new cardiac emergency response plan required by the state, including cardiac emergency response teams, AED placement and monthly checks, annual drills and a July 31 submission deadline.
A district staff member told the Hiawatha School Board that the district must submit a cardiac emergency response plan to the state by July 31 and outlined steps the district has taken to meet the requirement.
The presenter said the state requirement aims to improve survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. “When you add an AED to that, it comes up to about almost 40 percent,” the staff member said, describing national survival statistics that helped prompt the new requirement.
The plan that staff reviewed with the board calls for a cardiac emergency response team (CERT) at each school made up of roughly five to seven staff who will be AED- and CPR-certified and act as first responders during school hours. Staff said coaches will be expected to carry portable AEDs when supervising after-hours activities.
District staff reported current equipment and maintenance steps: the district has 13 AEDs in place, plus two portables at the high school and one portable at the middle school, and staff expect to add another portable once child/adult pads arrive. AEDs must be accessible at all times and located so responders can reach a cardiac victim within three minutes, the presenter said. The presenter added that AEDs are kept in cases with alarms and that signage is required where an AED is located.
Staff described inspection and consumables policy: pads generally expire after three to four years and cost about $600 per AED to replace; batteries usually last several years. The presenter said the district now checks AED status monthly and replaces pads and batteries as needed and that emergency medication boxes at each school will include albuterol, epinephrine and naloxone.
The plan includes training and exercises: staff said initial district-wide simulations are scheduled for August 1 and August 6 and that the state requires annual simulations and participation by athletic directors, coaches, CERT members and administrators. The presenter said the district will share AED locations and plan details with EMS and the county sheriff's office, and that any outside organization using district facilities must receive a copy of the school's AED information.
Staff noted funding support: grants are available to defray AED costs, and the presenter said the district has applied for available grant funding to cover additional equipment purchases.
Board members did not vote on the plan during the discussion; staff said they will submit the plan and return to the board if changes are requested by the state or following any campus cardiac event.
The district plans ongoing outreach to staff and outside users to ensure familiarity with AED locations and basic hands-only CPR steps for untrained bystanders.
