Avery
 County
 Schools
 Policy
  Policy
 Code:  5029/6130/7267

AUTOAMTED
 EXTERNAL
 DEFIBRILLATOR  (AED)  

The  

 Avery  
 County

 Board  
 of

 Education  
 is

 committed  
 to

 providing  a  
 healthy

 and

 safe

  environment   for
  its
  students,
  employees,
  and
  visitors.

  An
  automated
  external  













  defibrillator
  (AED)
  will   be
  used   to
  treat
  victims
  who
  experience
  sudden
  cardiac
  arrest
  (SCA).

  It
  will   be
  applied
  only   to
  victims
  who
  are
  unconscious,   without
  a
  pulse
  and
  not
  breathing.
 The
 AED
 will
 analyze
 the
 heart  rhythm
 and
 advise
 the
 operator
 if
 a  shockable   rhythm
  is
  detected.

  If
  a
  shockable
  rhythm
  is
  detected,
  the
  AED
  will   charge
  to
  the
  appropriate  energy
 level  and
 advise
 the
 operator
 to
 deliver
 a  shock.

There
  will   be
  a
  medical
  advisor
  to
  the
  AED
  program.  
  The
  medical
  advisor
  of
  the
  AED
  program   will   be
  responsible
  for
  providing
  medical
  direction
  for
  use
  of
  AEDs,
  writing
  a
  prescription
  for
  AEDs,
  reviewing
  and
  approving
  guidelines
  for
  emergency
  procedures
  related   to
  use
  of
  AEDs   and
  CPR,   and
  evaluation
  of
  post-­‐event   review
  forms
  and
  digital
  files
 downloaded
 form
 the
 AED.

Authorized
 AED
 Users   The  AED
 may
 be
 used
 by
 all
 members
 of
 the
 school’s
 medical
 emergency  response
 team
  (MERT)
  who
  have   successfully   completed
  training   and/or
  any
  trained
  team   member
  (volunteer
 responder)
 who
 has
 successfully
 completed  an

 approved
 CPR
 +AED
 training
  program  within
 the
 last
 two
 years  and
 has
 a  current
 successful
 course
 completion
 card.   The   school
  nurses
  will   be
  responsible
  for
  making
  training   available
  by
  American   Heart
  Association  (AHA)  or
 American
 Red
 Cross  (ARC)  for
 designated
 or
 volunteer  staff.

Responsibilities
  The   AED
  trained
  employee   will   be
  responsible
  for
  activating
  the
  internal   emergency
  response
 system
 and
 providing  
 prompt
 basic  life
 support
 (including
 AED
 and
 first  aid)
  according
 to
 training
 and
 experience.
 The
 trainer
 will
 also
 understand
 and
 comply
 with
  the   requirements   of
  this   policy
  and
  will   follow
  the
  more   detailed   procedures
  and
  guidelines
 for
 the
 AED
 program.

Anyone
  can,   at
  his/her
  discretion,
  provide
  voluntary
  assistance
  to
  victims
  of
  medical
  emergencies.

 The
 extent
 to
 which  these  individuals
 respond
 shall  be
 appropriate
 to
 their   training
  and
  experience.
  These
  responders
  are
  encouraged
  to
  contribute
  to
  emergency
  response
  only   to
  the
  extent
  they   are
  comfortable
  in
  doing.

  The
  emergency
  medical
  response
 of
 these  individuals
 may
 include
 CPR,
 AED
 or
 medical
 first  aid.

The   school
  office
  staff
  will   be
  responsible
  for
  receiving
  emergency
  medical
  calls
  from   the
  internal
  location   using
  an
  established
  9-­‐1-­‐1
  checklist
  to
  assess
  the
  emergency
  and
  determine
  the
  appropriate
  level
  of
  response.
  The
  office
  staff
  will   contact
  the
  external   community
  911
  response   ream   (EMS)
  if
  required.
  The
  office
  staff
  will   then   deploy
  the
  AED-­‐trained
 employees  to
 the
 emergency  location.  
 Someone
 will
 be
 assigned
 to
 meet
 the
  responding
  EMS
  aid
  vehicle
  and
  direct
  EMS
  personnel
  to
  the
  site   of
  the
  medical
  emergency.

During
  school
  hours,
  the
  AED
  will   be
  at
  designated
  locations.

  These
  locations
  shall
  be
  specific
 to
 each
 school
 but
 should
 allow  staff  members
 to
 retrieve
 the
 device
 outside
 of
  normal
 school
 hours.

After
  school
  hours,
  the
  AED
  may
  be
  moved
  from   its
  designated
  location   by
  an
  AED-­‐ trained   athletic   trainer
  to
  support
  athletic   department
  activities
  on
  a
  voluntary
  basis.

  Trained   personnel
  may
  be
  available
  to
  support
  this   effort
  during
  non-­‐school   hours.

  A
  visible   sign   will   be
  left   in
  the
  place
  of
  the
  AED,   with   the
  phone
  number
  to
  the
  athletic   trainer,
 clearly
 indicating
 they
 have
 possession
 of
 the
 AED.

Contracted
  and
  other
  community
  activities
  will   not
  be
  guaranteed
  access
  to
  the
  AED
  as
  part
 of
 standard
 rental
 contracts.

 Nothing
 in
 this
 policy
 should
 be
 construed  to
 require
  the  presence
 or
 use
 of
 an
 AED
 on
 school
 property
 or
 at
 school
 sponsored  events,
 unless
  otherwise
 required
 by
 law.

 The
 board  cannot
 and
 does
 not
 guarantee  that
 an
 AED
 or
 a   person
  trained
  in
  its
  use
  will   be
  available
  at
  any
  particular
  school
  site   or
  school-­‐ sponsored
 event.

The   battery
  of
  the
  AED
  will   be
  checked
  weekly
  for
  operation
  by
  designated
  staff
  and
  reviewed
 by
 the
 school
 nurse  and
 principal.

 Software
 updates
 and
 parts  replacement
 will
  be
 conducted  by
 appropriate
 LEA
 staff.

The  superintendent
 or
 designee
 shall  report
 to
 the
 board  on
 the
 plan
 for
 and
 actual
 use
 of
  AEDs
 in
 the
 school
 system.

 The
 superintendent
 shall  designate  a  program
 coordinator
 to
  manage
 the
 AED
 program
 in
 the
 schools.

The   board
  and
  its
  employees
  expressly
  reserve
  all
  immunities
  from   civil
  liability
  which
  are   available
  to
  them   under
  state
  or
  federal
  law,   including
  governmental   immunity   and
  the  statutory  immunities
 set
 forth  in
 North  Carolina
 General
 Statutes
 90-­‐21.14,90-­‐21.15   and  115C-­‐375.1
 and
 federal
 statute
 42
 U.S.C.
 238q.  

Legal
 References:
 G.S.
 90-­‐21.14,
 -­‐21.15;  115C-­‐375.1;  42
 U.S.C.
 238q

Cross
 References:
 Student
 Health
 Services
 (policy
 6120)  

Other
  References:

  N.C.   Emergency
  Guidelines
  for
  Schools,  
  (NCDPI
  2009),
  available
  at
  http://www.nchealthyschools.org/docs/school/nc-­‐emergency-­‐guidelines.pdf;

  Implementing
  an
  AED
  Program,   (American
  Heart
  Association
  2012),
  available
  at
  http//www.heart.org/idc/groups/heart-­‐ public/@wcm@ecc/documents/download/ucm_438703.pdf

ADOPTED:
 12/6/04;
 REVISED:
 3/11/14