September 2015
To:
BOCES District Superintendents
Superintendents of
Public Schools
Principals of Public
and Non-Public Schools
Charter School
Leaders
From:
Mary
Cahill
Subject:
Commissioner’s Regulations to
Require Instruction in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and the use of Automated
External Defibrillators
At the June
meeting, the Board of Regents approved an amendment of the Commissioner’s
regulations to require hands-only instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation
(CPR) and instruction in the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in
senior high schools. During the June meeting it was anticipated that the
proposed amendment would be presented for adoption at the September 16-17, 2015
Regents meeting, after publication of a Notice of Proposed Rule Making in the
State Register and expiration of the 45-day public comment period prescribed
for State agency rule makings. At the September meeting, the amendment was
approved and will take effect on October 7, 2015.
The regulation
states that students in senior high school must be provided instruction in
hands-only cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external
defibrillator. The standards for this instruction should be based on a
nationally recognized instructional program that utilizes the most current
guidelines issued by the American Heart Association or equivalent
organization. The instruction should be designed to:
1. have students
recognize the signs of a possible cardiac arrest and to call 911,
2. provide an
opportunity to demonstrate compressions necessary to perform
hands-only CPR, and
3. provide an
awareness in the use of the AED.
The American Heart
Association and the American Red Cross have established a program for
instruction in CPR and awareness in the use of AEDs that can be delivered in
one or two class periods. The instruction provided pursuant to Education Law
§804-a, the instruction of hands-only CPR, does not require the instructor to
be an authorized CPR/AED instructor because such hands-only instruction will
not result in a course completion card. To meet this requirement, schools may
choose from a variety of low cost and no-cost options that provide hands-only
CPR instruction.
Pursuant to the
provisions of Education Law §804-c and 804-d, where approved by local school
boards, school districts may continue to offer comprehensive CPR certification
instruction at their discretion. However, in cases where districts do not offer
such a course, all high school students will be required to receive instruction
in hands-only CPR and the use of AEDs.
The American Heart
Association provides numerous resources to help districts implement hands-only
CPR and AED instruction. These resources are available at https://yourethecure.org/aha/advocacy/details.aspx?BlogId=2&PostId=4139.
If you have any
questions concerning hands-only instruction in CPR and AED in senior high
school, please contact the Office of Curriculum and Instruction by email at emscurric@nysed.gov or by phone at
518-474-5922.
Melinda Murray, Karen Acompora, Suzy McCarthy, Annette Adamczak attending regulation adoption in Albany Sept. 17, 2015
