Penfield amends safety plan to meet New York’s "Desha’s Law" cardiac response requirements
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Summary
Safety and security coordinator Ted Wilson told the board the district has amended its school safety plan to add a cardiac emergency response plan required by New York’s Desha’s Law and must post the plan for public comment and hold a hearing before submitting to NYSED by Jan. 20, 2026.
Ted Wilson, the district’s safety and security coordinator, told the Penfield Central School District Board of Education on Jan. 13 that the district has amended its school safety plan to comply with New York’s Desha’s Law and must finalize and submit the updated plan to the New York State Education Department by Jan. 20, 2026.
"The district wide school safety plan with a cardiac emergency response plan must be in place by 01/20/2026," Wilson said, describing specific changes to Section 4 (sudden cardiac arrest preparedness) and the requirement that building-level plans include venue-specific procedures.
Why it matters: Desha’s Law requires schools to incorporate a cardiac emergency response plan into their safety plans and to integrate nationally recognized, evidence-based elements such as those recommended by the American Heart Association. Wilson said the law requires schools to post amended districtwide plans for 30 days of public comment and hold at least one public hearing before submission to NYSED.
Wilson summarized key operational elements the district will adopt: venue-specific procedures for responding to sudden cardiac arrest at school sites and school events (including athletics), identification of appropriate responders, and annual staff safety training that includes recognizing and responding to cardiac arrest. He also described timing for new‑hire training: employees hired after the school year begins must receive the cardiac emergency component within 30 days of hiring if it was not included in their initial orientation.
Board members offered no substantive objections during the presentation. Wilson said the district amended the districtwide safety plan on Dec. 30, 2025, to update the cardiac preparedness section and will follow the public‑comment and hearing steps before submitting the plan to NYSED.
What’s next: The board was notified of the amendment and the legal and procedural steps the district must take to meet the statutory deadline; the district will post the amendment for public comment and schedule the required hearing prior to the Jan. 20, 2026 submission deadline.
