ROCHELLE — Rochelle Township High School has established an emergency crisis response team due to a rise in out-of-hospital emergencies nationwide. 

The team’s work includes implementation of emergency response plans, AED use and accessibility, CPR training, practicing with simulated drills, and emergency action plans for at-risk students. The team includes Nurse Ashley Lawrenz, Athletic Trainer Marshall Basler, Assistant Principals Allison Vrana & Brett Zick, Principal Chris Lewis, and School Resource Officer Jim Jakymiw.

Lawrenz has a nursing and EMS background and is in her second year as RTHS’s nurse. She’s been working to fine tune the school’s emergency protocols due to seeing an increase in students in need in emergency scenarios. 

“That same increase is being seen across the nation and the Rochelle Fire Department has seen increases in emergency calls,” Lawrenz said. “Last semester, we started responding more and set up protocols and everyone's responsibility. That brought about the emergency response team and scenario-based training. I think when people are in an emergency scenario, they don't always know what to do. But if we're practicing and doing those scenarios, we'll be ready. Practice makes perfect.”

Lawrenz said she wants RTHS staff to feel empowered in emergency situations, which is also something they can take home with them and out into the community. The school keeps a list of CPR-certified staff in the building and where they’re located. 

RTHS wants to be able to support those going through emergency situations in the time that it takes EMS to arrive. Jakymiw said the school’s culture will have it prepared for those situations.  

“It's recognizing and accepting an emergency situation and understanding that,” Jakymiw said. “A lot of people can dismiss things, like hearing a pop and attributing it to a firework. I'd rather have people respond as if it's an emergency situation just in case. And being prepared is great, but we don't want to be paranoid. We don't want everyone on edge all the time that something is going to happen. We just want to be empowered, comfortable and prepared.”

Lawrenz said the safety of students is her top priority at RTHS. With Basler being on the emergency crisis response team, he is available to respond to emergencies after school hours during sports practices and games and other extracurricular activities

Each member of the team brings a unique point of view and background. 

“To have a good, effective team, you have to have different viewpoints and aspects,” Jakymiw said. “We all have different areas of knowledge. Having those different views come together on the response team is extremely effective. Everybody sees things from their own expert view.”

As a result of its emergency situation preparations, RTHS has been designated a Heart Safe School in partnership with the Lurie's Children's Hospital of Chicago and the Project Adam Foundation, both dedicated to preventing crises such as sudden cardiac arrests. Only one in nine schools in the state holds the designation, which gives the school access to the expertise, support, resources and guidance of those organizations.

The designation requires easily-accessible AEDs, an emergency response team, and certain protocols and procedures and drills that show response. 

“We had all of that,” Lawrenz said. “They were surprised that we were this prepared already. Most schools don't have what we have. This is the best for our students and they deserve the best care. With how rare the designation is, it makes me a little emotional. We're able to say we're prepared for any cardiac event. And we were. It means a lot to me. Just because we're a smaller district doesn't mean we can't be prepared. It has saved a life.”