In December 2022, Fisher Catholic High School in Lancaster received a three-year Heart Safe School Accreditation from Community Heart Watch. The accreditation is granted to schools that meet specific criteria designed to ensure the safety of students, staff and visitors who may suffer sudden cardiac arrest. The criteria to achieve accreditation includes:
- Cardiac care plans for students with a known cardiac condition
- CPR and AED training for school personnel
- Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) accessible within 90 seconds
- A cardiac emergency response plan
- Three cardiac emergency response drills per school year
- Annual cardiac arrest awareness activity
As part of the accreditation process, Fisher Catholic students participated in a cardiac emergency drill held in the cafeteria during lunch. During the simulated activity, five students immediately jumped into action by calling 911, starting chest compressions and using an AED.
“We are incredibly honored to have obtained this accreditation, as it means that over 90% of our students and 100% of our faculty and staff have passed their CPR and AED training,” said Dr. Sally Lozada, principal of Fisher Catholic High School. “Not only does this help all who walk through our doors at Fisher Catholic, but these individuals are now equipped with the knowledge to save lives in our community.”
In addition to the Heart Safe School Accreditation, Community Heart Watch also oversees the Heart Safe Business and Heart Safe Park accreditation programs. To learn more about Community Heart Watch, visit fmchealth.org or contact community outreach coordinator Teri Watson at teri.watson@fmchealth.org.
About Community Heart Watch
Community Heart Watch, an affiliate of Fairfield Medical Center, was created with one mission in mind: to save lives across the region. This committee of local healthcare providers, educators, first responders and economic leaders is determined to improve sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) survival rates throughout southeastern Ohio by:
- Increasing community education and awareness
- Distributing and mapping automated external defibrillators (AEDs)
- Empowering bystanders to step in and save lives