Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) - Last Reviewed 2024

Aug 30, 2026

Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) provides direction for responding to sudden cardiac arrest through facility-ready procedures, including Cardiac Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), AED placement and maintenance, and staff training and certification. It emphasizes coordinated actions such as rapid 9-1-1 activation and EMS guidance, while supporting early CPR and AED use to improve survival odds. The plan also outlines best practices for staffing, coverage continuity, equipment readiness tracking, and appropriate placement to ensure fast access during emergencies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryGeneral

FormatDOCX

Pages10

Reading Time4 min

AccessFree to download

Purpose

Developing a Cardiac Emergency Response Team (CERT)

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) – Placement, Installation and Maintenance

Additional Resuscitation Equipment

Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP): Supports the creation of a school/district policy and procedure for preparing and responding to cardiac emergencies. The CERP provides general recommendations and best practices and should be customized for each organization such as school, school district, or sports facility. The CERP Protocol is specific facility-based actions taken in a cardiac emergency that can be shared with team members and visually posted throughout a building. You can find sample protocols to customize by visiting HYPERLINK "http://www.projectadam.com/heartsafeschools" \h www.projectadam.com/heartsafeschools. This document is supported by the American Heart Association, Project ADAM, Parent Heart Watch and a national task force of experts in preparing for sudden cardiac arrest. Project ADAM affiliates provide the foundation for schools to plan and develop their program, including planning templates and one-on-one consultation on how to help prevent sudden cardiac death in the school setting. Project ADAM Heart Safe School designation is attained by schools upon successful implementation of a quality sudden cardiac arrest program of awareness, training and effective emergency response to promote a Heart Safe environment for students, visitors and staff as outlined within the Heart Safe School Checklist. Resources: Connect with an affiliate near you for support and to work towards Heart Safe designation: Access customizable program templates and videos: HYPERLINK "http://www.projectadam.com/heartsafeschools" \h www.projectadam.com/heartsafeschools. Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP) (Last Reviewed: 2024) Purpose This document provides direction and detailed guidance for responding to a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) through a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP). This plan outlines Cardiac Emergency Response Teams (CERTs), AED maintenance and locations, CERP protocol and related staff training/certification. This document does not replace any district policies or local, state, or national regulations. In the United States, it is estimated that annually 356,000 adults experience out-of- hospital cardiac arrest as well as 23,000 pediatric cardiac arrests (Mozaffarian, D, 2015; Okubo, M et al, 2020). Although approximately 90% of those people will not survive the event, the likelihood of survival increases with prompt intervention. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), early intervention that includes CPR and restoration of normal heart rhythm with the use of an AED increases the chance of survival. Developing a Cardiac Emergency Response Team (CERT) Designate one person as the Cardiac Emergency Response Team Coordinator who oversees CPR-AED program activities, training, education, and evaluation. All individuals on CERT should have current CPR/AED training from a nationally recognized organization. Designate individuals to promptly call 9-1-1 and direct EMS to the location of the sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Best Practice Considerations: Consider having the Cardiac Emergency Response Team comprise of at least 5 people or 10% of staff. In recognition of periodic absences and overall staff turnover, a robust team of individuals trained to be part of the CERT is essential to ensure uninterrupted response activities. CERT members should be able to step away from their tasks to assist when CERP is activated or have coverage for their classrooms. A list of these individuals and their CPR certifications should be maintained on-site in a readily accessible area. Plan for ongoing coverage following an emergency response in case a subsequent event occurs. Community and Workplace Considerations: Consider including individuals that are most often at the facility as members of the CERT. Consider including your organizational leadership as members of the CERT or trained in CPR and AED use. Include shared use partners and their leadership if the building or location is

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP)?

The CERP provides detailed guidance for responding to sudden cardiac arrest using a Cardiac Emergency Response Plan, including CERT structure, AED maintenance and locations, and staff training/certification. It does not replace district policies or applicable regulations.

Who should be designated to coordinate the CERT program activities?

Designate one person as the Cardiac Emergency Response Team Coordinator to oversee CPR-AED program activities, training, education, and evaluation. CERT members should have current CPR/AED training from a nationally recognized organization.

How should AEDs be placed and maintained according to the plan?

AED quantities should enable retrieval and delivery to any building location within about 3 minutes, and provide similar timely access outside the building. Each AED must be checked and maintained per its operating manual, with a maintenance log and a process for verifying and tracking readiness.

Aug 30, 2026

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