School Emergency Scenarios
After a witnessed collapse of a high school student in the hallway, the very first thing a teacher should do before beginning CPR is to
check the scene for safety.
This means you need to quickly look around and make sure that nothing else is a danger to you or the student. For example, is there spilled water, a piece of broken equipment, or traffic that could cause harm? Once the scene is safe, the next step in the sequence is to check if the student is responsive and then call for emergency services (911).
This is the required compression rate for all ages, in compressions per minute.
What is 100 to 120?
This is the very first step when an AED arrives at the scene.
What is to 'power on the AED'?
This person is typically responsible for retrieving the AED and first aid kit during a school emergency.
What is a designated AED responder?
Initial Responder (Teacher/Staff who finds the victim): Stays with the student and begins CPR or first aid.
Caller: Is directed to call the school office (or 911) and request emergency medical services.
Runner/Designated Staff Member: Is specifically assigned by the caller to "Go get the AED and First Aid Kit" and bring them directly to the scene. This ensures the equipment arrives quickly while care is already in progress.
Following a major medical event like a cardiac arrest where CPR and an AED were used on a staff member, what essential steps must be taken regarding the equipment and documentation?
Get the AED ready for the next person, to provide doctors with critical information, and to protect the school legally.
Responders must write down exactly what happened: what time the person collapsed, what time CPR started, and every step taken. This ensures an accurate, honest record of the care provided. It's used for quality review to see if the response can be improved next time, and it's a legal safeguard that proves protocols were followed.
A student is choking on food in the cafeteria but is still able to cough forcefully. This is the correct immediate action.
What is encouraging the student to keep coughing?
A forceful cough means the student is still moving enough air to try and dislodge the obstruction themselves.
Intervening with back blows or abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich maneuver) at this stage could potentially move the object deeper into the airway, turning a partial obstruction (where air can still pass) into a complete obstruction (where no air can pass).
Only when the cough becomes weak or the student can no longer speak, breathe, or cough (indicating a severe or complete airway obstruction) should you proceed to administer back blows and then abdominal thrusts.
This is the required depth of chest compressions for an adult.
What is at least 2 inches?
You should check that these items are not expired before using the AED.
: What are the electrode pads?
A middle school student is experiencing signs of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) after eating a peanut. This is the first and most critical medication to administer if available.
What is an epinephrine auto-injector?
Immediately after a student has received CPR/AED or significant first aid and the scene is secure, who are the 4 primary individuals to notify?
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) / 911 🚨
School Administration and/or Designated Emergency Coordinator 🏛️
Student's Parent or Guardian 👨👩👧
School Nurse or Healthcare Professional 🩺
A school staff member finds an unresponsive, non-breathing child. Before calling 911, this is the action they should take.
What is.. A school staff member should notify other people to call 911 and get an AED, and then begin CPR by giving 30 chest compressions.
For an unresponsive, non-breathing child when you are the only rescuer and the collapse was not witnessed (which is a common scenario in a school setting where the cause is often respiratory):
The action the school staff member should take before calling 911 is to begin CPR, starting with five initial rescue breaths.
If the staff member witnessed the child suddenly collapse, they would call 911 immediately first (like an adult) because the cause is more likely a sudden cardiac event.
This term describes allowing the chest to fully return to its normal position between compressions
What is 'recoil'?
Before applying AED pads, you notice the victim has a medication patch on their chest. This is the correct action to take.
What is to remove the patch and wipe the area clean and dry?
A medication patch can block the electrical current from the AED, or cause burns. It must be removed before applying the pads.
The purpose of a school's emergency action plan (EAP) is to do this.
What is to provide a clear, pre-determined response to an emergency
serves to eliminate confusion and ensure a rapid, coordinated, and effective response to various emergencies.
This is the legal document that allows a school to provide emergency care without being liable for a less than perfect outcome
What is the Good Samaritan Law?
In many states, the Good Samaritan Law explicitly extends protection to school staff, teachers, or certified CPR/AED users when they are providing emergency care to a student on school grounds or at school functions.
Therefore, while the school's Emergency Action Plan (EAP) provides the protocol for what to do, the state's Good Samaritan Law provides the legal shield against liability for outcomes that are less than ideal.
A student is found unresponsive with shallow, slow breathing and pinpoint pupils. This is the most likely medical emergency, and you should consider using this medication if available.
What is an opioid overdose, and using naloxone (Narcan)?
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, meaning it rapidly and temporarily reverses the effects of opioids in the body, specifically by blocking the effects that slow down or stop breathing.
Administering Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing in a person whose breathing has been suppressed by an opioid overdose, potentially saving their life.
Crucially, even if Naloxone is administered, you must still call 911 immediately. Naloxone is a temporary fix; the person needs professional medical attention, as they can go back into overdose once the Naloxone wears off.
If the student does not have an opioid overdose, Naloxone will cause no harm.
A student has fallen onto a sharp object that is now stuck in their leg. The correct first aid procedure is to take this action regarding the object.
What is to stabilize the object and not remove it?
Removing an impaled object can cause more damage, increased bleeding, and further contamination. Stabilizing it prevents further movement and injury.
You should not use an AED on a victim who is in contact with water. The proper procedure is to do this first.
What is to move them and wipe them dry?
For a student who has a nosebleed, you should instruct them to do this.
What is to pinch the soft part of their nose and lean slightly forward?
Sitting up reduces blood pressure in the veins of the nose. Leaning forward prevents blood from draining down the throat, which can cause gagging, coughing, or vomiting.
Once the bleeding has stopped, instruct the student not to blow their nose, pick at it, or engage in strenuous activity for several hours to prevent the clot from dislodging.
For a student who has a bee sting and no known allergy, the best way to remove the stinger is with this.
Use a firm, thin, non-sharp object such as the edge of a credit card, a driver's license, a dull knife blade, or the edge of a fingernail.
Technique: Gently place the edge of the object next to the stinger and scrape across the skin to flick or slide the stinger out.
The primary concern with a bee sting stinger is that the venom sac is usually still attached to it.
Avoid Pinching: You should avoid using tweezers or your fingers to squeeze or pinch the stinger. Pinching the stinger is likely to squeeze any remaining venom from the sac into the skin, increasing the local reaction.