Maine DOE Announces New Interactive Tool for School Staff Use in Health Emergencies

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Coordinated School Health Team is pleased to share a new interactive tool designed to assist all school and school administrative unit (SAU) staff in responding quickly, safely, and effectively to emergent injury and illness situations. It contains interactive flowcharts that guide real-time decision-making, helping users to determine the correct course of action when students are injured or become ill at school or during school-sponsored activities—especially when licensed medical personnel are not immediately available.

This interactive tool is based on the larger, downloadable School Health Emergency Quick Guide: How to Respond to Injury and Illness at School PDF, developed in partnership with Maine Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and the Emergency Medical Services for Children (EMS-C) program for Maine schools and adapted, with permission, from the Washington State Department of Health and the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Both the PDF and corresponding interactive tool contain detailed steps for responding to various health emergencies, such as allergic reactions, mental health crises, suspected overdoses, and more. The material follows current emergency response best practices and includes a CPR/AED quick reference, standard precautions guidance, emergency contact numbers for Poison Control and the Maine Crisis Line, and a full references section.

To access the School Health Emergency Quick Guide interactive tool, please click here. Information about how to save this interactive tool directly to the home screen of a smartphone and/or tablet for instant access is included at that link. (Please note that a connection to the Internet is required for use.)

Please share this new resource widely with your school/SAU networks. Those with questions should contact the Maine DOE Office of School and Student Supports at DOESchoolandStudentSupports@maine.gov.

As always, staff should inform the school nurse, administration, and the student’s parent/legal guardian as soon as possible in a health emergency situation. When in doubt, call 911.