Lancaster City Schools Preschool program is first to receive Heart Safe Schools accreditation

LANCASTER -- Lancaster City Schools Preschool Program is the first preschool in the nation to receive The Heart Safe Schools Accreditation.

Working with Fairfield Medical Center and local fire departments, students from Lancaster City Schools celebrated their achievement at Greenfield Fire Department on Friday morning. They received a proclamation from Troy Balderston’s office and were applauded by everyone from Lancaster City Mayor Don McDaniel to Superintendent Nathan Hale.

They also were given the opportunity to practice CPR skills and climb through fire trucks and smokehouses.

The Heart Safe accreditation became a goal for the school district this year in the hope that educating students at a younger age will help them to not only recognize a medical emergency but also have the confidence to take action during a medical emergency.

Community Heart Watch’s Heart Safe accreditation is designed to prepare staff, students and community members to respond appropriately to cardiac arrest wherever it strikes — including in the workplace, classroom and public settings. This designation is granted to organizations that adopt a specific set of criteria.

This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: City Schools Preschool program is first to receive Heart Safe Schools accreditation