The Vermont Statutes Online

Title 16 : Education

Chapter 033 : Fire and Emergency Preparedness Drills and Safety Patrols

• § 1480. Emergency operations plans

  (a) Each supervisory union or supervisory district shall adopt and maintain an all-hazards emergency operations plan for each school site that is at least as comprehensive as the template maintained by the Vermont School Safety Center. The plan shall be reviewed and updated on an annual basis, in collaboration with local emergency first responders and local emergency management officials.

  (b) Each approved and recognized independent school shall adopt and maintain an all-hazards emergency operations plan consistent with the requirements of subsection (a) of this section.

  (c) The Vermont School Safety Center shall maintain an emergency operations plan template and update the template as appropriate.

  [Subsection (d) effective July 1, 2026.]

  (d) The template maintained by the Vermont School Safety Center shall include, at a minimum, hazard-specific provisions for:

  (1) Acute cardiac events in schools, including protocols that address:

  (A) the use and maintenance of automated external defibrillator (AED) devices;

  (B) the specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest during school activities or within school or district facilities, which shall be consistent with nationally recognized, evidence-based standards;

  (C) the appropriate use of school personnel to respond to incidents involving an individual experiencing sudden cardiac arrest or a similar life-threatening emergency while on school grounds;

  (D) implementation of AED placement and routine maintenance within each school or district facility, which shall be consistent with applicable nationally recognized, evidence-based standards, and which shall include a requirement for clearly marked and easily accessible AEDs at each athletic venue where practices or competitions are held;

  (E) required staff training in CPR and AED use and practice drills regarding the cardiac response plan; and

  (2) An athletic emergency action plan (AEAP) for all public or approved and recognized independent schools with an athletic department or organized athletic program. The AEAP shall detail the steps to be taken in response to a serious or life-threatening injury of a student participating in sports or other athletic activities. The AEAP established by public and independent schools pursuant to this subdivision shall be consistent with the athletic emergency action plans policy established by the Vermont Principals’ Association. (Added 2023, No. 29, § 2, eff. July 1, 2025; amended 2025, No. 72, § 12, eff. July 1, 2026.)