AED

Free Sample Cardiac Emergency Response Plan for Schools

By Gene Jolley, AHA Heartsaver® Instructor · October 27, 2026

Real emergency right now? Call 911 first. The dispatcher will coach you.

Starting with the 2026–2027 school year, Vermont's Act 72 requires every school and school athletic program to have a cardiac emergency response plan. Many schools have an AED on the wall but no written plan for who grabs it, who calls 911, and who meets the ambulance. Below is a free sample plan you can copy, fill in, and adapt for your building.

It follows the 8 core elements the American Heart Association recommends for every school plan. New Hampshire schools, daycares, churches and workplaces can use it too.

Important: This is a sample to help you get started, not legal advice. Have your administrator, school nurse and local rescue squad review your final plan, and check the Vermont Agency of Education and the American Heart Association (heart.org/CERP) for official templates.

What is a cardiac emergency response plan?

It is a short written plan that says exactly what happens in the first minutes after someone collapses. Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to a student, a coach, a parent in the bleachers or a bus driver. A plan turns panic into a practiced routine, the same way a fire drill does.

The goal: CPR started right away, and an AED on the person within about 3 minutes of collapse.

SAMPLE PLAN

School name: ______________________________
Address (what 911 should hear): ______________________________
Plan coordinator: ______________________ Phone: ______________
Date adopted: ____________ Next review: ____________

1. The Cardiac Emergency Response Team

The school keeps a team of staff trained in CPR and AED use. The team covers the whole school day, after-school programs, practices, games and evening events.

• Each building has at least _____ trained team members on site whenever students are present.
• Every head coach and assistant coach is a team member for their sport.
• The team list is posted in the main office, the nurse's office, and next to each AED.

2. How the team is called (activation)

When someone collapses and is not responding or not breathing normally:

1. Shout for help and point at people: "You, call 911. You, get the AED."
2. Call 911. Give the school address, the building, and which door the ambulance should use.
3. Call the team using the school's code over the radio or PA, for example: "CODE HEART, gym." Our code is: ______________
4. Start CPR right away. Push hard and fast in the center of the chest, 100 to 120 times a minute. Switch people every 2 minutes.
5. Use the AED as soon as it arrives. Turn it on and follow the voice prompts.
6. Meet the ambulance at the door and lead the crew straight to the person.
7. Clear the area and move other students away.
8. Notify the principal and the person's family, and write down the times (collapse, 911 call, first shock, EMS arrival).

Job assignments (team members take the next open job):

• CPR (2 people, trading every 2 minutes)
• AED runner
• 911 caller (stays on the line)
• Door greeter for the ambulance
• Crowd control
• Note taker

3. AED placement and monthly checks

• AEDs are placed so one can reach any spot in the building, and every sports field, within about 3 minutes of collapse.
• AEDs are unlocked and easy to reach during all school hours and events.
• Each AED is checked monthly and the check is written down.

Monthly AED check (2 minutes each):

1. Status light or screen shows "ready."
2. Pads are sealed and not expired. Child pads are present if the AED uses them.
3. Battery is not expired.
4. Response kit is with the AED: gloves, CPR face shield, razor, trauma shears, small towel.
5. Cabinet alarm works and signs are visible.
6. Initial and date the log.

4. Sharing the plan

• All staff review the plan at the start of each school year.
• The plan and team list are posted next to every AED.
• Coaches review the plan with their team at the first practice and walk the team to the nearest AED.
• Visiting teams and game officials are told where the AED is before every home game.

5. Training

• Every team member holds a current CPR/AED card (cards last 2 years).
• Every coach is trained before their season starts.
• Students learn Hands-Only CPR before graduation, as Vermont law (Act 151) intends.
• Other staff, such as bus drivers, custodians and lunch staff, are encouraged to train.

6. Drills

• The school runs at least one cardiac emergency drill per year. Many schools run one each semester.
• At least one drill happens outside normal hours, such as during a practice or event.
• Each drill is timed: How long until 911 was called? Until CPR started? Until the AED arrived?

7. Working with local rescue (EMS)

• The plan is shared with the local fire department and rescue squad.
• The school and EMS agree on which entrance the ambulance uses for each building and field.
• The local department is invited to join a drill.
• Rural note: If your town has a volunteer department, response times can be longer. Your trained staff and students fill that gap, so plan for more team members, not fewer.

Local rescue contact: ______________________ Phone: ______________

8. Yearly review and after any emergency

• The plan is reviewed and updated every year.
• After any real emergency, the team meets within a few days to talk through what went well and what to fix.
• Used AED pads and supplies are replaced right away.
• Staff involved are offered support. A cardiac emergency is hard on the people who respond.

Athletics checklist

1. The AED goes to every practice and game, or is within a 3-minute reach.
2. Every coach knows where it is and has opened it at least once.
3. One coach is assigned to call 911 and one to meet the ambulance.
4. The ambulance entrance to each field is unlocked during events.

Need help putting your plan into action?

Twin State Safety helps schools, daycares and workplaces in Vermont and New Hampshire turn a plan on paper into a team that is ready. We can:

• Fill in and set up your plan with your nurse and administrator
• Train your response team and coaches for American Heart Association Heartsaver CPR, AED and First Aid cards
• Teach students Hands-Only CPR
• Do your monthly AED checks and send a signed report
• Run and time your cardiac emergency drill

Call or text (802) 424-0190 or email info@twinstatesafety.com.

Post our free CPR poster next to every AED. New to AEDs? Read how to use an AED, step by step.

Sources

• American Heart Association, Cardiac Emergency Response Plan resources and Schools Checklist, heart.org/CERP
• American Heart Association Eastern States: Vermont cardiac emergency response plan law (H.480, Act 72), easternstates.heart.org
• Vermont Legislature, H.247 and H.480 testimony and bill text, legislature.vermont.gov
• Project ADAM: cardiac emergency response drills, projectadam.com

This guide is general safety information, not medical advice or a code inspection. It does not replace a hands-on CPR or first aid class. Product recommendations are my own and are not endorsed by the American Heart Association.