(New Carlisle, IN) - Students and staff at New Prairie proved again Friday that they have a heart for public safety. Rolling Prairie Elementary became the first elementary school in Indiana to achieve Heart Safe certification. New Prairie Middle School also earned the designation, becoming the state's first middle school to do so.

 

Wisconsin-based Project ADAM issues the certification based on a checklist of medical emergency precautions.

 

The certification has been spearheaded by New Prairie Biomedical Science Teacher Tonya Aerts. She said each school conducted a live drill on Friday to prove they could handle a sudden cardiac arrest situation. "I was so happy that we were able to coordinate with EMS and 911 dispatch to do the real call," she said. "911 stayed on the phone with them, walked them through steps, asked them some questions, just really simulated it." LaPorte County Sheriff's deputies and representatives from Project ADAM also took part. "It was just a nice community endeavor to see these two schools reach this accomplishment," said Aerts.

 

New Prairie High School was the first school in Indiana achieve the designation in 2021. Currently only five schools in the state are Heart Safe certified. Three of those schools are in the New Prairie school district.

 

Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death among high school athletes in America. Aerts says her school’s efforts are in part a tribute to Mark Mayfield, a New Prairie senior who died of sudden cardiac arrest in a school hallway back in 2017. Since then, the district has become a leader in preparedness. Aerts says about 300 New Prairie students have become CPR certified over the past few years.