Mt. Blue Nurse Team Boosts School Health and Safety with CPR/AED Training for Educators

(The Mt. Blue School Nurse team.)

As the state of emergency brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic gradually quelled, the Mt Blue Regional School District nurse team could finally catch their breath and refocus on the projects they had put on hold amidst the crisis.

“As COVID was winding down and we were getting back into our normal routines, it was hard to believe it was really over. We had been living with these high-stress levels for so long that it took a while to adjust mentally to our pre-COVID routines.” Janneke Strickland, BSN, RN, NCSN, RSU 9 Lead Nurse and Cascade Brook School nurse in Farmington, remembers, “But once things settled, it felt good to have time to devote energy to newer projects.”

One of those projects was a concerted effort to increase the number of district staff members certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation/automated external defibrillator (CPR/AED). This endeavor, conceived as a group initiative for the 21/22 school year, resonated deeply with the nurses, who were driven by a shared commitment to enhancing the safety and well-being of their school community.

The team started by conducting polls in each Mt. Blue school building. The results painted a stark picture: a mere four to five percent of staff were certified in CPR/AED in each location. Undeterred by the challenge, the Mt. Blue Nurse team set their sights on an ambitious target – to ensure that at least 10% of staff were CPR/AED trained by the end of 2023.

A nurse practices CPR on a CPR manikin. — A Mt. Blue school nurse works on one of the CPR manikins purchased through Newhouse.

With their objectives clear, the nurse team strategically formulated a budget request for the 22/23 school year. This proposal encompassed provisions for CPR training kits and an AED trainer, essential tools needed to equip staff with life-saving skills.

Taking charge of the initiative, Kathryn Clement, a dedicated member of the nurse team and a Nationally Certified School Nurse, spearheaded efforts to explore avenues for Mt. Blue nurses to become certified as Basic life-saving instructors. “Over the summer, the majority of Mt. Blue nurses and some other Maine School nurses trained with Angie Newhouse of Newhouse Training,” explained Clement. “There were lots of moving pieces and a collaborative effort to provide training to our staff.” Through Newhouse, they also found and purchased the feedback CPR manikins they need to train educators.

Next, leveraging the support of the Mt. Blue administration, the nurse team forged a partnership with Franklin County Adult and Community Education. Through the Harold Alfond grant funding coordinated by their Adult Ed partner, the nurses were able to extend CPR/AED classes to staff members at no cost, eliminating barriers to participation.

As the prospect of teaching classes loomed, a few nurses grappled with apprehension. “The apprehension came from being new to teaching BLS and working with larger groups,” explained Strickland, “Usually, nurses teach one-on-one with students or families, so we aren’t used to teaching large groups.”

However, the Mt. Blue Nurse team rallied together, opting to co-teach sessions, honing their skills and fostering confidence. Gradually, their trepidation gave way to assurance, buoyed by the team’s collective expertise. By the end of the school year, Mt. Blue’s nurses not only met their target of 10% CPR/AED certification among staff but surpassed it, with 15% of staff becoming CPR/AED certified. Thanks to this team of dedicated educators, Mt. Blue was safer than ever.

“We have so many tools at our disposal, like defibrillators, out in the public, and it is nice to know our staff now know how to use them,” says Clement. “Now, more people in the public are comfortable administering

From the National Association of School Nurses

emergency response care.”

However, the Mt. Blue nurse team knew their mission for safer schools was far from over. Buoyed by the success of their endeavors, the nurses continue to offer classes to staff members, spurred by an overwhelming interest from the community. Their commitment to the well-being of the Mt. Blue community remains unwavering, underscoring the pivotal role nurses have in nurturing a culture of safety and preparedness within schools.

“School nurses occupy a unique space where education and healthcare converge. There are myriad aspects to this special type of nursing!” says Strickland. “Under guidance from the School Nursing Practice Framework (NASN, 2024) and the Maine

DOE, we strive to collaborate with families, school staff, administration, and the wider community to support the health and safety of our students. This approach, as research demonstrates, leads to improved academic achievement.”

School nurses are the backbone of our schools, keeping students healthy and safe. They deserve to be celebrated every day, but especially today on National School Nurse Day. Celebrate National School Nurse Day today by taking time to thank the school nurses in your community.

RSU 71 IT Director Enhances School Safety with the Help of Maine DOE School Safety Specialist Course

As IT Director, Dr. David Fournier leads a team of seven people in Regional School Unit (RSU) 71 in Belfast. Together, they manage all aspects of technology in the district, including everything from building and maintaining networks to laptop fleets and much more!

Although Fournier loves the techie part of his job, especially watching teachers and students use technology to increase learning, he knew that involvement in school-related technology could go far beyond the classroom.

“I came into the safety role by working on security cameras, keyless door entry systems, and radios/walkie-talkies,” explained Fournier. “Our district has a safety task force that meets monthly, and I joined to better understand how my role as IT director could help address safety issues in our schools.”

Fournier took the Maine Department of Education (DOE) School Safety Specialist course in January of 2023 to help him better understand school safety and its complexities. Maine DOE’s Maine School Safety Center offers an 8-week School Safety Specialist course, provided asynchronously through Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

“Taking the School Safety Specialist course gave me better insights into what could and should be done to keep our staff and students safe,” said Fournier.

The course is free to Maine schools and covers everything from the fundamentals of school safety to climate and culture, including behavioral threat assessment. It also incorporates emergency operations planning, which includes networking with appropriate stakeholders and incident command systems.

Following the training, Fournier’s role as IT Director expanded to include leading the RSU71 District Safety Task Force. Since becoming a school safety specialist, one of his biggest safety enhancements was guiding the district through purchasing and implementing the Share 911 program.

“Share 911 is an emergency notification system that addresses the communication issues we have experienced during emergency events over the past few years,” explained Fournier. “I have also instituted a standard debriefing protocol that is used after any safety event to capture the mistakes made and lessons learned during an event.”

In addition to these two significant changes, RSU 71 has a Parent Safety Page highlighting the district’s safety efforts. You can see the many other safety protocols RSU 71 has in place there.

Looking to the future, Fournier is working on plans to conduct more regularly scheduled tabletop safety exercises to enable school staff to react to an emergency as effectively as possible.

Knowing that a successful and safe school community is almost impossible without great community partners, Fournier has many people to thank.

“I would like to thank Erik Endress, the owner of Share 911 (share911.com), for the top-notch support and training he has personally provided to RSU71 this year,” he said. “I also want to thank Dale Rowley, the Waldo County Emergency Management Director, for his continued training, support, and difficult tabletop exercises to work through!”

Fournier also extended a very special shoutout to the RSU71 Safety Task Force members. They helped “tackle such a difficult, but important, aspect of schooling that goes unheralded,” said Fournier. “They are doing the hard (and scary) work, and I thank them for their continued efforts.”

The School Safety Specialist course is a program of the Maine DOE’s Maine School Safety Center and is available at no cost to Maine schools. Cohorts start at the beginning of every month and complete in 8 weeks. All work is done asynchronously through Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and takes approximately 20-25 hours to complete.

For more information, visit the Maine DOE website, fill out an interest form, or reach out to Maine DOE School Safety Training Coordinator Wendy Robichaud at Wendy.Robichaud@maine.gov.

Register Now for Maine DOE School Safety Specialist Program

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) Maine School Safety Center (MSSC) offers training in several service areas, all at NO COST to schools and school administrative units (SAUs). MSSC’s flagship training opportunity is the School Safety Specialist (SSS) program, provided through Eastern Maine Community College (EMCC), which helps fulfill the statute Sec. 1. 20-A MRSA §1001, sub-§16 (LD892), which states you must have a “designated employee having oversight regarding school safety.”

School Safety Specialist Program

School Safety Specialists are prepared to:

Supports and assists administrators in coordinating the review, editing, and updating of Emergency Operations Plans for their district and/or school building each year as established under Maine Statute 20-A, 1001, chapter 101, sub-chapter 1, section 16 https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/statutes/20-A/title20- Asec1001.html
Involve appropriate stakeholders in the development of district/school level Emergency Operations Plans through the formation of a safety team to include the following: police and fire departments, emergency management agency, EMS, local medical facilities, community members, administrators, parents, and students.
Network with appropriate stakeholders to enhance school safety at the SAU and/or school level.
Act as a resource for other individuals in the SAU on issues related to school safety.
Work with the Maine School Safety Center to provide professional development for faculty and staff on school safety-related issues that encourage a safe school environment.

The details of the program:

Cohorts start at the beginning of every month and have 6 weeks to complete.
All work is done asynchronously through EMCC and takes approximately 20-25 hours to complete.
Work is divided into badges. Badges are outlined above. Each badge consists of interactive modules, a quiz, and reflection questions, except ICS courses which are accessed through FEMA.

Your motivation for enrolling:

Become a safety leader in your school.
Earn Digital Badges through EMCC and contact hours for recertification.
Be a school safety liaison with the Maine School Safety Center.
Create a network of safety specialists in the state.

School Safety Specialist Badges

Introduction to the Maine School Safety Initiative

Fundamentals

Safety Through Climate & Culture

Emergency Planning

Incident Command System

Introduction to Maine School Safety Center
Why the SSS program is important

School Emergency Management
Behavioral Threat Assessment Management
Restorative Practices

Through Food Security
What Makes School Climate & Culture?

Emergency Operations Plans
Planning Process
Important Themes in Emergency Planning

ICS 100
ICS 200
ICS 700
ICS 800

(FEMA Training)

If you would like to take advantage of this great opportunity, fill out the School Safety Specialist interest form.

The Maine School Safety Center has a School Emergency Management Coordinator who can help with resources, training, and guidance on anything involving emergency management in schools. The areas include, but are not limited to:

Emergency Operations Plans
Emergency Exercises and Drills
Implementation of Multi-Disciplinary Teams
Implementation of Safety Teams

For further support or information regarding School Emergency Management, reach out to School Emergency Management Coordinator, Bridgette Gilbert Bridgette.Gilbert@maine.gov.

The Maine School Safety Center is not a regulatory agency. All of their services are 100% free to you and your school. MSSC does not enforce any rules or laws, they provide assistance to SAU’s to help make schools a safer place for all students, staff, and visitors. For further information visit Maine School Safety Center website.

Scholarship Opportunities Available for Maine School Counselors and School Social Workers

The Maine Department of Education (DOE) recognizes the importance of supporting student mental health. Data from the U.S Center for Disease Control and the Maine Integrated Youth Health Survey reflect increased student mental health needs.

In 2023, Maine DOE received a five-year Expanding Access in School Environments (EASE) grant to increase school-based mental health staff and services in Maine schools. The Maine DOE will spend the next year providing opportunities to the current workforce of school counselors and school social workers to build upon their expertise and to promote evidence-based practices in Maine schools. This emphasis on school-based mental health workforce development strengthens the quality of mental health services in schools.

The following scholarship opportunities are being presented to school counselors and school social workers working in Maine schools:

With the goal of increasing the number of school counselors benefiting from access to their professional communities, Maine school counselors (up to 31) will be given scholarship opportunities to obtain full membership in the American School Counselor Association (ASCA). This membership opportunity will connect more Maine school counselors with their professional community, providing access to additional networking, training, evidence-based practice resources, and research. Eligible ASCA members will also be able to pursue national school counselor certification through ASCA. Once the application is created, it will be distributed through a Maine DOE school-based mental health listserv.
With the goal of increasing the number of nationally certified school counselors (ASCA) supporting Maine schools, the Maine DOE will provide scholarships to qualified school counselors (up to 10) to participate in the ASCA national certification process. At this time, ASCA has reported that Maine does not have any ASCA national certified school counselors working in Maine schools. Once the application is created, it will be distributed through a Maine DOE school-based mental health listserv.
With the goal of increasing the number of school social workers benefiting from access to their professional communities, Maine school social workers (up to 31) will be given scholarship opportunities to obtain full membership in the School Social Work Association of America (SSWAA). This membership opportunity will connect Maine school social workers with their professional community, providing access to additional professional networking, training, evidence-based practice resources, and research. Eligible members will also be able to pursue advanced national certification through the SSWAA National Certified School Social Work process. Once the application is created, it will be distributed through a Maine DOE school-based mental health listserv.
With the goal of increasing the number of nationally certified school social workers (SSWAA) supporting Maine schools, the Maine DOE will provide scholarships to qualified school social workers (up to 10) to participate in the SSWAA National Certified School Social Work process. This advanced national certification process requires applicants to link their school practices with the national school social work practice model. This funding support may result in a 1000% increase in National Certified School Social Workers in Maine schools and place Maine among the national leaders in national school social work certification. Once the application is created, it will be distributed through a Maine DOE school-based mental health listserv.

To be eligible for these opportunities, school counselors and school social workers must meet the eligibility requirements for each individual activity, be employed as a school counselor or school social worker in a Maine school, hold 075 certification from the Maine Department of Education (school counselors), or hold a valid social work license from the Maine Social Work Licensing Board (school social workers). Interested school counselors and school social workers must use the forthcoming application to request access to these scholarship opportunities. Each of these opportunities will be provided on a first come, first serve basis.

For more information, contact kenneth.a.rautiola@maine.gov.

Opportunity for Students in Grades 8 – 11: Applications Open for FEMA Youth Council

Do you know any teens who want to build leadership skills while making a difference in their community? The United States Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is now accepting applications for its Youth Preparedness Council.

The Youth Preparedness Council supports FEMA’s commitment to involve youth across the U.S. in preparedness-related activities. It also provides youth with an opportunity to present their perspectives, feedback, and opinions to FEMA officials. Youth Council members regularly meet with FEMA staff and attend the annual Youth Preparedness Council virtual summit.

The Maine Department of Education encourages you to share this opportunity with students in grades 8 – 11.

Learn more by visiting the Youth Preparedness Council | FEMA.gov

Warming Center Locations and Resources Available in Response to Extreme Temperatures

Given the frigid and dangerous temperatures expected in the coming days, the Maine Department of Education is sharing information from the Maine Emergency Management Agency (MEMA) on Warming Centers and other resources for families and communities.

Warming and Charging Centers operated by local municipalities could open in communities across Maine. Visit MEMA’s website to find a location in or near your community. You may also dial 2-1-1 or visit their website for a list of locations.

Click here for additional resources and information from MEMA on how to prepare for the extreme temperatures and safety tips, including information on preventing and dealing with frozen water pipes.

Families are encouraged to stay tuned to alerts and warnings through media or by downloading the free FEMA app on their smart phone, which provides targeted preparedness information, alerts, and warnings for specific areas. For more information on preparedness, visit and follow MEMA on Facebook or Twitter.

Get Ready for International ShakeOut Day

All hazards planning includes practicing for an earthquake (even here in Maine!), and being prepared for the possibility of an earthquake should be part of every school’s Emergency Operations Procedure (EOP).

National resource, Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills provides schools, school districts, institutions of higher education, and entire communities an opportunity to practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On; enhance their preparedness capacity for earthquakes; and identify strengths and weaknesses in their emergency operations plan (EOP).

You are invited to participate on any date, at any time, and in any setting, including virtually. Join the REMS TA Center, Southern California Earthquake Center, Federal Emergency Management Agency, U.S. Geological Survey, National Science Foundation, and many other partners around the country in this annual event.

Last year, more than 10 million people participated from K-12 schools, school districts, colleges, and universities.

Use the following resources from the REMS TA Center and Southern California Earthquake Center to help you plan your drill:

Consider how your planning team can review, revise, and enhance your Earthquake Annex after the ShakeOut and throughout the year.

Additional Earthquake Annex development resources are listed below.

For more Emergency Preparedness resources and planning for Maine schools, reach out to the Maine School Safety Center.