Program administrators should prepare and plan in advance for situations that may require an emergency response
Be Aware:
- Children and adults might experience medical emergency situations due to:
- Injuries
- Complications of chronic health conditions
- Unexpected major illnesses
- Children with special healthcare needs may be at additional risk for medical emergencies
- Special training of staff may be necessary
- Communicable disease emergencies involve exposures for which there needs to be contact tracking and management. For guidance, contact:
- Environment, Health and Safety at 734-647-1143 (Ann Arbor)
- Safety Management Services at 734-764-4427 (Michigan Medicine)
- Environmental Health and Safety at 810-766-6763 (UM-Flint)
- Environmental Health and Safety at 313-593-5000 (UM-Dearborn)
- Decide about the roles for all authorized adults in advance, and ensure everyone understands their own role and is comfortable with it
- Identify at least one adult that can be certified in CPR/First Aid and have him/her trained/certified
- Identify a key person to develop and implement the emergency plan
- Maintain a list of names, locations and contact information of trained professional resources to provide guidance during emergencies
- Develop policies that are flexible to better accommodate age-appropriate responses. (Younger children will require closer supervision during an emergency situation, while older children/teens may be able to provide assistance)
- Consult with medical professionals as needed
- Identify who should be notified if an emergency occurs
- If an automated external defibrillator (AED) is on site, ensure it’s properly maintained
- It’s a good idea to create an emergency medical kit
- Keep in secure area
- Organized and monitored
- Accessible
Your emergency medical kit should include:
- Absorbent cotton
- Adhesive strips (assorted)
- Alcohol/swabs
- Antibacterial soap
- Antibiotic ointment
- Butterfly bandages (large, small)
- Cotton-tipped swabs
- CPR mask
- Dental rolls (nose packing)
- Disposable gloves
- Elastic bandages
- Eye pads
- Gauze pads and rolls
- Insect sting kit
- Instant cold pack
- Medications (EpiPens, pain relievers, antihistamines, individual participant medications)
- Moleskin
- Non-stick pads
- Adhesive tape
- Safety pins
- Scissors
- Sealable plastic bags
- Splints
- Steri-strips
- Sterile dressing (4×4, 2×2)
- Thermometer
- Tongue depressors
- Tweezers
- Zinc oxide
- *Knowledge of location of nearest AED
- Maintain “Authorization to Treat” and “Medical Information” forms in a central location
- It’s recommended that at least one adult be certified in CPR/First Aid
- Develop policies, procedures, and protocols for responding to life-threatening allergic reactions (especially related to food triggers)
Children with chronic medical conditions or other special healthcare needs are more susceptible to medical emergencies and require a heightened sense of readiness
- Work with medical professionals to develop individual emergency care plans as needed
- These should be copied and made available to medical personnel if hospital treatment should become necessary
