Cardiac Emergency Response Plan (CERP)

Are you ready?

Become a part of the Nation of Heartsavers that are prepared to act in an emergency with three simple steps: Share, Practice, and Activate.

The American Heart Association Cardiac Emergency Response Plan is a written document that establishes the specific steps to reduce death from cardiac arrest in any setting – be it a school, community organization, workplace, or sports facility.

Only about 40% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest receive the immediate help that they need before professional help arrives. When a person has a cardiac arrest, survival depends on immediately receiving CPR from someone nearby.

students kneeling over a fallen student

CERP Implementation Guide

Share Practice Activate


This guide will help organizations create, share, practice, activate, and evaluate a cardiac emergency response plan to reduce death from cardiac arrest in any setting.

Download the CERP Implementation Guide (PDF)

Download the checklists:

tablet iconCERP Guidance and Resources

The American Heart Association has created an easy-to-use Cardiac Emergency Response plan to help assist you in preparing your location to act in an emergency.

Download the Cardiac Emergency Response Plan and Protocol – Community (PDF)

Download the Cardiac Emergency Response Plan and Protocol – Schools (PDF)

Download the Cardiac Emergency Response Plan and Protocol – Sports Facilities (PDF)

Get Trained

With Faster, Flexible and Quality First Aid CPR and AED Training, the American Heart Association (AHA) can help make sure you are ready with a variety of courses designed to prepare you for real life situations. mission is to train every person in CPR, and we know from experience that our training education products deliver a great foundation for First Aid, CPR & AED training at any level from healthcare professionals to workplaces to schools and community organizations.

Let us show you how at www.Heart.org/CPR(link opens in new window)

Download the Course Information Guide (PDF)(link opens in new window)

Get Information on AED Implementation

You Have the Power to Restart a Heart. We Can Show You How. Are you one of the 50% who can locate an automated defibrillator (AED) at work? Immediate CPR and use of an AED can double, or even triple, survival rates.

Are you prepared?

Download the 10 Steps to an effective AED Program

Get more information at www.Heart.org/AED