More than 10.5 million annual passengers and 11,000 employees at Indianapolis International Airport (IND) will soon be better prepared to respond to medical crises.
The advancement comes through a new cardiac emergency response plan (CERP), developed in partnership with the American Heart Association.
The initiative, announced Aug. 18, marks the first time a U.S. airport has adopted a formal CERP, making it the largest plan of its kind ever implemented by the American Heart Association. The program prioritizes early recognition of cardiac emergencies, rapid access to defibrillators and the use of CPR through trained responders.
Beginning this month, the Indianapolis Airport Authority will offer free training to all airport employees and tenants. The instruction will cover recognizing cardiac arrest, calling for emergency help, performing CPR and using one of the 70 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) located throughout the 7,700-acre campus.
Terri Ruff, president of the Heart Association’s Indianapolis board of directors, said the initiative builds on years of advocacy to expand lifesaving training across the country.
“When NFL player Damar Hamlin experienced sudden cardiac arrest on the football field several years ago, the nation witnessed how a well-practiced cardiac emergency response plan saved his life,” Ruff said. “We want every school, every business, every organization to be prepared to respond to cardiac emergencies as we create a Nation of Lifesavers. We’re thrilled to be able to put a plan like this in place at the Indianapolis airport.”
Airport officials said the training will extend its impact beyond IND, as employees and tenants bring their new skills into the community. The effort also includes “stop the bleed” education, a national campaign that teaches people how to respond quickly to severe bleeding emergencies.
“Developing a CERP with the American Heart Association is one more tool to help us keep every passenger, employee and visitor at the airport safe 24 hours a day,” said Fred Pervine, chief of the Indianapolis International Airport Fire Department. “It’s about empowering our entire airport community with life-saving skills — from our own staff to thousands of tenant employees like those at FedEx. We’re grateful to Indiana University Health for delivering the high-quality training that makes this possible.”
Medical calls account for about 70% of the airport fire department’s responses, with teams typically arriving within six minutes or less in 90% of cases. IND has achieved a survival rate of more than 60% in cardiac arrest incidents, well above the national average. Experts note that immediate CPR can double or triple survival odds, while using an AED improves outcomes even further.
The initiative is part of the Heart Association’s Nation of Lifesavers campaign, which aims to double the survival rate of cardiac arrest in the U.S. by 2030. Earlier this year, the association also helped secure new state legislation requiring Indiana schools to develop CERPs for sports, extracurricular activities and other events.
This reporting is made possible by a grant from the Indianapolis African-American Quality of Life Initiative, empowering our community with essential health insights. https://iaaqli.org/
Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram at @hanna.rauworth.
Hanna Rauworth is the Health & Environmental Reporter for the Indianapolis Recorder Newspaper, where she covers topics at the intersection of public health, environmental issues, and community impact. With a commitment to storytelling that informs and empowers, she strives to highlight the challenges and solutions shaping the well-being of Indianapolis residents.
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