In some medical emergencies, minutes can mean the difference between life or death. Is your church ready to respond?
A trained team can help protect your flock
If he’d intended to add a dramatic note to his presentation on a church building addition, Gus Sideris couldn’t have done a better job. While explaining financing plans, he slumped to the floor in front of some 300 people attending a business meeting at the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Warsaw, Indiana. His heart had stopped beating.
Sideris, the church’s coordinator of outreach ministries, was on the floor only a few seconds before two physicians and several nurses at the meeting rushed to his side. One doctor performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation; another called an ambulance. Emergency medical service personnel arrived within minutes and revived Sideris with their defibrillator, then took him to a local hospital. “If I hadn’t received medical attention almost immediately, I would have died on the spot,” he says.
Fortunately, Sideris recovered from the event, but it caused his church to consider what emergency medical programs it should have in place. If you visit the church today, you’ll find an automated external defibrillator (AED) mounted on the wall of the vestibule. Further, there’s now a designated team of volunteers in place to handle medical emergencies, and key staff members of the church and its preschool receive annual training in emergency medical procedures from EMS personnel.
How Churches can Prepare
Episodes of sudden cardiac arrest, like the one that almost claimed Gus Sideris’ life, cause about 325,000 American deaths each year. With many churches seeing an increase in the number of their members over age 65, the risk of a cardiovascular emergency of some kind happening during a church event is on the rise.
Sideris’ story highlights the kind of medical emergency that churches should be prepared to handle. Brotherhood Mutual risk control specialists recommend that churches have a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan which encompasses every foreseeable ‘worst-case scenario’ that might happen. Medical emergencies represent one section of that plan. Here's what to consider:
Designate a medical response team. Preferably the team would be composed of medical professionals such as physicians, nurses, and emergency medical technicians. The team should include several people as backup, just in case something really serious happens, and the primary volunteers may be on vacation.
Ideally, the list of emergency medical volunteers would be deep enough to allow at least two people present at all regular services, in addition to any other church events or activities.
For churches without medical professionals, ask for volunteers and offer them classes in first aid, CPR, and AED use. Remember, the team’s role is simply to provide basic emergency care and stabilize victims until the professionals get there.
Some churches have their emergency response team sit together in a specially designated pew where they can easily be located in case of an emergency.
At some churches, the emergency medical team is part of a larger mission. The Avalon Missionary Church in Fort Wayne, Indiana, offers a health and wellness ministry, led by a team of eight nurses. In addition to emergency response, the ministry offers church members a variety of health-related services, ranging from educational seminars to counseling and periodic health screening services.
Once an emergency response team is established, churches should let the congregation know that it exists and who’s involved. Avalon Missionary posts team members’ names in various locations in the church so that they can be quickly summoned in the event of an emergency, and it also gives the list to ushers.
Line up the right equipment. AEDs are becoming standard safety equipment in many public places, which should increasingly include churches, Edmonds said. AEDs work by analyzing the heart’s rhythm and prompting users to deliver a defibrillation shock if one is needed. Early treatment with an AED can increase the survival rate of sudden cardiac arrest victims tenfold, according to the American Heart Association.
In addition, churches should stock first-aid kits. Look for an institutional first-aid kit, which is larger and more comprehensive than what you find in the local drug store. Contact a professional first-aid kit supplier, such as Afassco, Zee Medical, or Cintas, for assistance. Also buy a CPR kit, which includes protective airway masks to help prevent mouth-to-mouth contamination.
Finally, line up volunteers who regularly carry cell phones to serve as designated emergency communicators. They can provide critical help by dialing 911 or other emergency numbers.
Invest in training. One of the most critical things you can have in an emergency is a cool head, which comes from knowing what to do and practicing it. Churches should consider enrolling key staff members and volunteers in training for first aid, CPR, and AED skills. Classes are offered at little or no cost by a number of organizations around the country.
Published 2018
The information provided in this article is intended to be helpful, but it does not constitute legal advice and is not a substitute for the advice from a licensed attorney in your area. We encourage you to regularly consult with a local attorney as part of your risk management program.
