Two UCS high schools honored as HEARTSafe

Two Utica Community Schools high schools are among 105 Michigan schools to be recently named a MI HEARTSafe School for their commitment to preparing for cardiac emergencies

Henry Ford II High School and Stevenson High School were honored by the Michigan Departments of Health and Human Services and Education, American Heart Association, Michigan Athletic Association and Michigan Alliance for Prevention of Sudden Cardiac Death of the Young.

To receive the MI HEARTSafe designation, the schools had to meet a number of standards:

-perform at least one cardiac emergency response drill per year;
-have a written medical emergency response plan and team;
-have current CPR/Automated External Defibrillators (AED) certification of at least 10 percent of staff;
-have accessible, properly maintained and inspected AEDs with signs identifying their location;
-and ensure pre-participation sports screening of all student athletes, using the current physical and history form endorsed by the Michigan High School Athletic Association.

Between 1999 and 2009 in Michigan, there were 3,134 young individuals between 1 and 39 years of age who died of sudden cardiac death. Of those, 246 were between 5 and 19 years of age.
In its second year, the MI HEARTSafe Schools designation is Michigan’s commitment to reducing the number of sudden cardiac death in its youth. Last year was the first year of the program, and 40 schools were designated in Michigan.
Public Act 12 of 2014 requires all schools (grades kindergarten to 12) to have a cardiac emergency response plan in place. Henry Ford II and Stevenson high schools have an existing cardiac emergency response plan and has taken additional steps to be prepared for a cardiac emergency.

Burr Elementary was named a HeartSAFE school in 20115.