Facilities and Specialized Equipment

Students with complex medical conditions and/or who are technologically dependent will need specialized equipment during the school day. In addition, the classroom must be assessed and equipped to handle the myriad of equipment required by the students. The following are guidelines to follow when considering placing a student with complex medical condition(s) and/or who is technologically dependent in the classroom.

Minimum Facility Requirements

1. Electrical power and a sufficient number of outlets to handle various equipment:
   1. Dedicated electrical outlets with their own circuit breakers,
   2. Sufficient number of electrical outlets to power various equipment for numerous students, and
   3. Outlets with Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) capability - requires three pronged receptacles;
2. Hot water heater;
3. Washer and dryer with electrical and plumbing hook-ups;
4. Two separate sinks with an adjoining counter:
   1. One sink for clean equipment and items,
   2. One sink for cleaning contaminated equipment and items, and
   3. Adjacent counter to allow equipment to air dry;
5. Wall mounted anti-bacterial liquid soap dispenser for infection control;
6. Paper towel dispenser;
7. Paper cup dispenser;
8. Covered waste receptacle and plastic bags/lining for ease of disposal of contaminated items;
9. Accessible bathroom:
   1. Elevated toilet seats (wheelchair height),
   2. Roll-in shower stall with hand held showerhead, and
   3. Elevated changing table;
10. Ceiling hoist (factory installed ceiling tracks with motorized lift -- www.planetmobility.com);
11. Space Saver Mat (elevated mat that is attached to the wall);
12. IV pole for tube feeding;
13. Ramps as needed;
14. Doorway ramps as needed;
15. Storage area for oxygen tanks;
16. ADA width doorways to accommodate wheelchairs;
17. Small refrigerator for storage of medication and left over formula for Gastrostomy Tube (GT) feedings; and
18. Ambu-bag (bag-valve-mask) device to give artificial respirations.

For information about positioning and lifting equipment (ceiling hoist, Space Saver Mat, Tumbleform feeder seat, wedge, sidelyer, prone stander, supine stander/tilt table), contact the physical therapist assigned to your school.

For information about medical equipment (ventilator, nebulizer, suction machine, pulse oximeter, oxygen tanks), contact the public health nurse assigned to your school.

Equipment Recommended

Depending on the needs of the individual students, certain types of equipment may be needed in the classroom:

1. ventilator for back-up use,
2. large volume nebulizer for humidification of trach,
3. suction machine,
4. pulse oximeter,
5. oxygen concentrator,
6. various positioning equipment, and/or
7. oxygen tanks.

Oxygen Storage Requirements

1. Cylinder Storage:
   1. Do not place oxygen tank in a small or unventilated storage area.
   2. Do not place oxygen equipment in a small storage area such as a closet or car trunk. Any venting oxygen could create a fire hazard.
   3. Store portable oxygen cylinders lying down or in a storage rack. Cylinders should never be left standing upright without a cylinder stand.
2. Cylinder Stability: Oxygen is stored in gas cylinders under very high pressure. An oxygen cylinder needs to be secured in a special base to keep it from falling over. The weight of the cylinder can cause injury and damage property if it were to fall on someone or something. The cylinder valve could also be knocked off if the cylinder were to fall over. The high pressure coming out of a broken valve opening could then cause the cylinder to move about the room in a destructive, uncontrolled manner.
3. Avoid Heat: Keep cylinders and oxygen tubing at least five (5) feet away from any source of heat, especially open flames, stoves, or large windows.
4. Grease/Oil: Never use grease, oil, aerosols, paints, gasoline, solvents, or hand lotion on oxygen equipment.
5. No Smoking:
   1. Do not permit smoking in the same room as the oxygen equipment.
   2. Place “No Smoking” and “Oxygen in Use” signs on outer doors of classroom.

Facility Modification Requests

Table R Form

Classroom renovation is a costly process that requires 12-15 months to complete the design and construction phases. When a modification or renovation of a classroom is required, a Preliminary Table R form (see page F-22) should be completed and submitted to Capital Improvement Project Planner III of the Facilities and Support Services Branch. The Preliminary Table R is available for downloading from http://fssb.k12.hi.us/forms.htm. Information regarding:

• what exact modification is being requested.
• where (school, classroom and location within the classroom) the modification is needed.
• why the modification is needed (justification).

These are required on the Preliminary Table R form. The form should be completed and submitted by the school administrator to the district educational specialist for district coordination and submittal to Facilities and Support Services Branch. The request may be submitted at any time; however, submissions earlier in the fiscal year are recommended.

Note that limited capital improvements program funding determines the DOE’s ability to fund requests. Therefore, renovations will be funded based on statewide priority.

ADA Modifications

School requests for modifications/renovations that are needed to meet ADA requirements (i.e., wheelchair ramps, electrical outlets to power equipment, etc.) and that cost less than $10,000 may be submitted to the Facility Planner II of the Facilities and Support Services Branch .