Board adopts district safety plan update to include cardiac-response language under new state law

The Jericho Union Free School District Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt a revised district-wide safety and emergency management plan for the 2025–26 school year that incorporates a short cardiac emergency response paragraph recently added by New York State.

Brian Shanahan, a security consultant from Altaeras, told the board the update was largely procedural but important for training and awareness: "Desha's Law is basically a piece of legislation that talks about having cardiac emergency response plans," he said, and described the changes as adding guidance on recognizing sudden cardiac arrest, calling 911 and knowing AED locations.

Board members were told the district posts the safety plan for 30-day public review before adoption; Shanahan said the district is already in compliance with state drill requirements and that the additional paragraph will prompt annual training updates. The chair noted the state required the readoption be completed before Jan. 20 and thanked staff for completing the update early.

The board adopted the motion without discussion, with the clerk recording a 5–0 vote in favor. The administration said it did not expect additional board action when the board next reconvened after an executive session.

The change is administrative and does not change the district's broader emergency procedures, the consultant said; it will be reflected in the publicly posted safety plan for the coming school year.