FOR US DEPT OF EDUCATION
Contact: Carlin Hertz
Phone: 202/401-1576
[email protected]
FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY
Contact: Brian Porter
Phone: 301/279-3853
[email protected]
FOR RED CROSS
Contact: Phil Zepeda
Phone: 202/303-4458
[email protected]
U.S. Department of Education Launches Program To Make Schools Safer
Teachers, Students to Receive American Red Cross First Aid training
WASHINGTON, May 7, 2003 — In an effort to help both teachers and students better prepare for an
emergency, the U.S. Department of Education is launching a national pilot program to provide first aid
training to teachers, school staff and middle school students.
The initiative, spearheaded by the U.S. Department of Education, brings together federal and local
agencies and the American Red Cross as part of the government’s continuing emergency preparedness
efforts. Once the pilot program is evaluated and refined, it will be rolled out to school districts across the
nation.
The Montgomery County (Maryland) school system in suburban Washington, DC, has been chosen as the
pilot test site due to its experience in dealing with major emergency preparedness issues. The program,
run by the American Red Cross, will be kicked off this Saturday, May 10, at the Montgomery College
Physical Education Center in Rockville, Maryland with a one-day seminar, “First Aid Training for
Emergency Preparedness.” The voluntary training in first aid is being offered to middle school teachers
and staff members from both public and private schools in Montgomery County; trained school staff will
then pass this valuable first aid information on to middle school students in special sessions this spring and
next fall.
The training will certify participants in basic first aid. In addition, schools with trained staff will receive a
two-hour first aid curriculum for students, prepared by the American Red Cross, which can be presented
as part of each school’s own emergency preparedness program. The curriculum is consistent with the
health education curriculum in first aid for middle school students of the Montgomery County Public
Schools.
“It is critical that our children and teachers be adequately prepared for emergencies that might arise in
schools,” said Eric Andell, deputy undersecretary for the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools at the U.S.
Department of Education. “Given amount of time our children spend in our nation’s schools, it is very
important that we put this kind of first aid program in place. The more knowledge we have, the better
prepared we are to respond quickly and in the best interest of students and school personnel, and of course
parents, who should know that schools are better preparing their children for an emergency.”
“This opportunity will showcase how collaboration among the Red Cross, school districts, and local
government can make schools safer environments for our children,” said Marsha J. Evans, President and
CEO of the American Red Cross. “We hope that students will also take this emergency preparedness
information home and share it with their families.”
“Teachers and staff of our schools recognize very well that fundamental skills in first aid are a key
component of emergency preparedness, especially at a time of greater threats to the health and safety of all
of us,” said Dr. Jerry D. Weast, Superintendent of Montgomery County Public Schools.
About the U.S. Department of Education
The U S. Department of Education is the agency of the federal government that establishes policy for,
administers, and coordinates most federal assistance to education. It assists the president in executing his
education policies for the nation and in implementing laws enacted by Congress. The Department's
mission is to serve America's students -- to ensure that all have equal access to education and to promote
excellence in our nation's schools.
About the American Red Cross
Governed by volunteers and supported by community donations, the American Red Cross is a nationwide
network of nearly 1,000 chapters and Blood Services regions dedicated to saving lives and helping people
prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Led by 1.2 million volunteers and 30,000 employees, the
Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to families affected by more than 67,000 disasters, trains almost 12
million people in lifesaving skills and exchanges more than a million emergency messages for U.S.
military service personnel and their families. The Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood
products to more than 3,000 hospitals across the nation and also assists victims of international disasters
and conflicts at locations worldwide.
About Montgomery County Public Schools
Montgomery County's school system, located in the suburbs of the Nation's capital, is the largest school
system in Maryland and 18th largest and the 12th fastest growing in the United States. More than
139,000 students are enrolled in 191 schools, from pre-kindergarten through the twelfth grade. The
emergency preparedness first aid program focuses on the teachers and staff who serve the more than
32,400 students enrolled in the school system's 36 middle schools.
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