CHS Receives 2020 AR Community Preparedness Award

A class at Cabot High School has received statewide recognition!

Congratulations to Cabot High School's Emergency Preparedness Class for being named the 2020 recipient of the Arkansas Division of Emergency Management (ADEM) Community Preparedness Award for the Central Region and the STATE AWARD WINNER! This award is presented for distinguished leadership in community preparedness and enhancing community disaster resilience.

You may recall, students in the Emergency Preparedness Medical class were challenged to assess the strengths and weaknesses of emergency action plans involving cardiac emergencies on campus. The goal of the “Code Red Initiative” was to provide a safer learning environment not only for students but staff.

During the 2018-2019 school year, students gathered and collected data including:

• Identifying teachers who are currently CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) certified & trained to handle cardiac emergencies.
• Surveying teachers on where the closest AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is to their classroom.
• Calculating the average response time from the nurse's station to all areas on campus.
• Taking inventory on emergency equipment and identifying areas in need.

Following their research, students made recommendations to the CHS administration team. Many of the recommendations have now been implemented.

The students determined that the size of the CHS campus, 40 acres, was too large for the school’s three Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to efficiently be used in response to a cardiac arrest event. Through the student’s initiative, the school received a grant that allowed another AED to be placed on campus. This action reduced the probable response time to a cardiac event from almost three minutes to less than 10 seconds.

*A professional development session was also added to allow more teachers to become AED/CPR/Stop the Bleed certified.

*Stickers have also been added to teacher/administer classroom doors who are CPR certified to easily identify those who can assist in case of an emergency.

Congratulations to the Emergency Preparedness Medical class, former CHS teacher Lyndsey Rich, and Cabot High School on their hard work in helping save lives!