Kirkwood School District is now the first school district in 最新杏吧原创 County to receive the Heart Safe School District designation. The designation comes after efforts over the past year by the Kirkwood School District Emergency Response Team to earn the Heart Safe School designation by developing and implementing a comprehensive Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP).
鈥淭his is a huge accomplishment and a reason for celebration,鈥 said Grace Presley, BSN, RN, program coordinator with Project ADAM at 最新杏吧原创 Children鈥檚 Hospital.
This designation aligns with Missouri legislation (), which requires all public and charter schools to develop and implement a CERP by the 2026鈥27 school year. These plans must include appropriate automated external defibrillator (AED) placement, staff training in CPR and AED use, annual emergency drills, and coordination with local emergency medical services.
To earn the designation, school-based emergency response teams must successfully conduct and demonstrate a cardiac emergency drill during regular school hours. These drills ensure staff are prepared to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a cardiac emergency.
In the United States, an estimated 356,000 adults experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year, along with approximately 23,000 pediatric cases. While nearly 90% of these incidents are fatal, survival rates increase significantly with immediate intervention. Early response 鈥 including CPR and the use of an AED to restore a normal heart rhythm 鈥 can greatly improve outcomes. For more information about Heart Safe Schools, please visit Project ADAM鈥檚 website at or connect with Project ADAM at 最新杏吧原创 Children鈥檚 Hospital at ProjectADAM@bjc.org.
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Kirkwood School District
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