According to Gallup, 20% of Americans will gather in a church building each week. That equates to roughly 67 million people. Church and volunteer staff are most likely ill-equipped and under-prepared to respond effectively to a Sudden Cardiac Arrest event and minutes matter when responding to Cardiac Arrest. Brain damage starts to occur around four minutes, and brain death happens around ten minutes. 

CPR and AED readiness are an essential function of church staff and volunteers, yet many are unaware of the danger Cardiac Arrest poses. According to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, around 356,000 people will have a cardiac arrest event outside of the hospital each year. With prompt CPR and AED use, bystanders can double or even triple the survivability rate. To be prepared, training is important. Learn about our training for churches across Georgia and South Carolina here.

As someone who has worked in a church, I have seen, not everyone is as prepared as they should be. So taking time to assess how prepared is your church is important.

Cardiac Arrest Preparedness Checklist:

• Do you have an AED in your facility? If yes, where is it located & is it easily visible ? 
• Is your CPR/AED certification up to date? If not, sign up for a CPR and First Aid Class here or sign up for a CPR, First Aid, or AED Class here.
  • You can host a CPR training for your church staff and volunteers and invite the congregation as well. Providing an opportunity for parents to learn these skills is a great way to support your parents.
• How many compressions and breaths do you give during CPR?
• What is your address? 
• What is the building you serve in called? What are landmarks you can give first responders?
• What are the first steps you take when you discover a collapsed individual? 

We encourage you to make a checklist that is custom-fit to your specific serving area and educate your volunteers and staff on your emergency response plan and protocols. Education is said to be one of the best forms of prevention. Hopefully, the need will not arise when the use of your AED or CPR is required, but we want you to be prepared just in case.

Note: if your church has an AED, you are required to have anyone you expect may be in a position to use the AED to have hands on AED and CPR training. It is best to have the whole staff trained, but at least key people and volunteers should have this training.

Related Article: Why Should Churches Consider CPR Training for Staff Members and Volunteers?

First Aid Emergency Preparedness

First Aid kits can be extremely helpful as you begin the treatment or stabilization process for a myriad of different injuries. The unfortunate reality is most churches will keep their AEDs and CPR certifications up to date but let their first aid kits fall to the wayside. When was the last time you checked stock of your first aid kit and the dates of medications in your first aid kit? Have you made sure it is properly stocked with trauma equipment, i.e. sterile gauze, pressure bandages, tourniquets, etc? 

Just a side note, most basic first aid kits do not come with a tourniquet. You can improvise a tourniquet, but having one that is designed for the very purpose of stopping life-threatening blood loss will always be superior. Purchase a tourniquet here if your first aid kit is lacking one. Shop all our first aid supplies here.

What To Have in a Church First Aid Kit

We recommend tailoring your first aid kits to your specific context but every first aid kit should at the very least contain some sort of PPE (personal protective equipment), basic bandages, sterile gauze, various minor injury creams (burn gel, triple antibiotic, anti-itch), and surgical tape. PPE is essential when you administer first aid.

Many churches will get First Aid Cabinets to place it on the wall in needed locations. Make sure it is in safe locations that children can’t get into.

Bloodborne pathogens are bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that are carried in the bloodstream. These can be things like Hepatitis B, C, and HIV. The rule of thumb is to always put a barrier in between you and any bodily fluid originating from another person. To understand more about this, our bloodborne pathogens training can help. In South Carolina, bloodborne pathogens training is required.

Related Article: Common Bloodborne Pathogens: Definitions, Risks, & Prevention

Lastly, there is a high likelihood you will dig into your first aid kits on a weekly basis if your primary ministry is kids’ ministry. Do you know and understand your protocols for rendering aid to the children in your care? What about your “duty to act” during an emergency scenario? Answering these questions beforehand is essential to providing effective first aid to the people who have been placed underneath our care.

When it comes to medication, in most cases, you should almost never give medication out to kids or adults at church unless you have a signed protocol document from a doctor.

Wisdom is often said to be knowledge in practice. What will you do with the information provided above? We encourage you to take action to prepare for a medical emergency in your church so that you can provide the most effective care possible in that scenario.