District outlines safety plan updates and new cardiac emergency appendix

Hamburg Central School District officials on June 9 presented the district safety plan and an appended cardiac emergency response plan, stressing collaboration with local public safety agencies and a continued focus on staff training and mandated drills.

Patrick Fitzgerald, the district safety presenter, told the board the safety committee includes representatives from public safety, transportation and building staff and that the plan remains largely consistent with prior years. He described a new appendix added this year: a cardiac emergency response plan intended to ensure trained staff and equipment are in place.

Fitzgerald said staff training emphasizes recognizing signs of cardiac arrest even when not all staff are trained to operate AEDs: “not all staff know how to use the AEDs but they can spot [a cardiac event],” he said, and the district keeps personnel on site who are trained to respond. The plan also sets the district’s annual drill requirements: the first mandated lockout drill must be completed by Oct. 2 and the district runs multiple surprise drills, one evacuation relocation a year (with bus‑company partners) and three bus emergency drills.

Board members asked about relocation‑site logistics and parent congestion at off‑site pick‑ups; administration said each building has a primary and secondary relocation site and staff continue to refine communications and traffic flow messaging for parents during relocations.

The plan was made available to the public and district leaders invited questions; the board approved the safety plan as part of the evening’s action items.