CPR and AED TRAINING
None of your staff are required to be CPR or 1st aid certified
-- see the wording in the School Code 105 ILCS 110/3 Comprehensive
Health Education Program -- but you do need to have "a trained AED user
in each physical fitness facility, during school-sponsored physical
fitness activities" in each facility that has an AED. (the district is
to have a policy on medical emergencies, to have an automated external
defibrillator in each indoor physical fitness facility. Note, a school
district owning or operating 4 or fewer indoor physical fitness
facilities must have at least one facility in compliance with this Act
(Public Act 93-910; HB 4232) on or before July 1, 2006.
Call with questions. I took this information off of the State
compliance document we use when going into schools to check for compliance.
We completed the requirement last summer. It was done in 3 phases with PE/Health, Athletic Coaches and building administrators in phase one. Phases two and three allowed us to train sufficient staff to insure that someone with training and certification were in the building at all times. The certification in our case was tied to CPR certification and varies according to which group is training. The company that we purchased our devices from was able to accommodate all needs as they relate to the law.
A minimum of one person who is certified in CPR/AED must be present at all
times that the building is open.
We do AED training quarterly at teachers' meeting. CPR training is done
yearly and takes about 5 hours. First Aid is done every two years. We are lucky because our local junior college provides the instructors free of charge.
My district trained all physical education teachers, all administrators, and all Health Aides this school year. The training was provided by the Red Cross and included certification in CPR, First Aid, and AED. We also require any agency renting our gym facilities for athletic activities to guarantee that AED certified personnel will be on the premises.
The legal reference is Physical Fitness Facility Medical Emergency Procedures Act, 210 ILCS 74/1 et seq. Automated External Defibrillator Act, 410 ILCS 4/1.
To be certified inCPR/AED a staff member must go thru training at the American Red Cross or the American Heart Association. It can be a coach, nurse, teacher, athletic director, etc.