The safety of your children while they are in our care is paramount to us.
We are pleased to announce that Hortonville Area School District is among the first in the nation to implement a brand-new lifesaving Medical Emergency Response Plan and Team with the help from Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and Project ADAM.
The statistics are startling. In 2013, the American Heart Association reported 9,500 cases of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in youths. What’s more, across the United States, even the best emergency medical services (EMS) systems can’t reach cardiac arrest victims for 3 to 5 minutes. Therefore, the actions taken by bystanders during the first few minutes of a cardiac emergency are critical. Prompt action can double or triple a victim’s chance of survival.
It has been proven that a carefully orchestrated response to cardiac emergencies will reduce death and disability in school settings and help ensure that chaos does not lead to an improper or no response.
What is a Medical Emergency Response Plan?
Hortonville Area School District Medical Emergency Response Teams (MERT) are comprised of 12 staff members in each building that are certified in CPR/First Aide and automated external defibrillator (AED) use; obtaining access to an AED for early defibrillation; acquiring necessary emergency equipment; coordinating and integrating on-site responder and AED programs with the local EMS system; and practicing and reviewing the response plan. Our Medical Emergency Response Teams practice their skills with 3 drills each school year.
How can parents help?
As our school staff learn CPR, we encourage all parents to learn CPR through one of these options:
- Take 60 seconds to watch the free Hands-Only CPR video here.
- Locate and attend a classroom-based CPR and AED course to become certified. Visit American Heart Association or American Red Cross, and click the red “Find a Course” button.
If you have any questions about the Medical Emergency Response Plan , please contact Molly Oleson, RN BSN.
You may also visit Project ADAM by clicking their logo above.
Thank you for your support
