Illnesses and injuries may be the most common of all school incidents. James Rumsey Technical Institute follows procedures as mandated (Senate Bill 592) by the West Virginia Schools Crisis Response Plan. Each year, during a required professional development session, the Plan is presented to all faculty and staff by one of the school administrators. A section of the Plan includes procedures that are used in case of medical emergencies and minor medical problems. The following information is used as a guide for responding to such emergencies.
- Medical Emergencies
- Minor Medical Problems
In the case of a medical emergency, the teacher or staff’s responsibilities are as follows:
- Evaluate the accident/injury/illness scene.
- Direct any unaffected persons to a safer and secure area.
- Call 911 and advise of situation, type of injury, or illness.
- Notify the front office. Emergency medical responders are notified and report to the area of the emergency.
- Assess severity of injury or illness; render first aid if qualified to do so.
- Use universal precautions if handling bodily fluids.
- Assist emergency medical responders.
- If the scene is not safe, i.e. electrocution, downed wires, etc., wait for Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
- Maintain classroom control and class roster information.
- Do not move injured/ill person(s) unless there is a threat or imminent danger.
- If the medical emergency involves a staff member, the incident commander assigns someone to take control of the staff member’s classroom.
- File incident report and make appropriate notifications.
If deemed necessary, the principal will make the announcement “This is a Medical Emergency”. If that is the case then the teacher(s) are to:
- Report to the emergency responders any pertinent information about the person.
- Maintain classroom control and class roster information.
- Keep students in the classroom unless otherwise directed by a school administrator.
- Respond to fire alarms.
- Ignore class changes.
- Restrict use of cell phones.
- Wait for the “all clear” signal to resume schedule.
In the case of a minor medical problem, the teacher or staff’s responsibilities include:
- Move the student to the office and assess the situation.
- Administer first aid, if appropriate.
- File incident report and make appropriate notifications.
Members of the emergency responders (On-Site Emergency Team) include:
- EMS Instructor
- LPN Instructor
- Licensed Professional Counselor
- Administration
James Rumsey Technical Institute, as a follow-up, has a school safety team who meet throughout the year. One part of their responsibilities is to evaluate and revise the current emergency procedures as needed. Revisions are then brought before the faculty senate for final acceptance.