Allen County Schools Prepare for New AED Rules for School Districts

SCOTTSVILLE, Ky. (WBKO) – Recent changes to regulations require all Kentucky schools to have an AED readily available in their school buildings throughout the district, even though Allen County schools have implemented the appropriate safety measures long before.

Fifteen potentially life-saving defibrillators are scattered throughout the district, and an additional AED is located off-campus at the country club for use by the golf team. Seven are located at the high school, one at Patriot Academy, two at James E. Bazzell Middle School, three at the Intermediate Center, and two at the Primary Center.

Deputy Director Brian Carter said the district was well prepared when lawmakers in Frankfort made their decision thanks to a federal grant received two years ago.

“We actually followed the law for about a year before it went into effect, so we were in good shape when the law went into effect. We were happy to see them, but buying that grant that allowed us to have those 16 AEDs, we put them all over campus and we’re proud of that,” Carter shared.

Although there has been no need to use an AED so far, Carter still remembers one near-miss situation and remains grateful for the quick response of a bystander and the presence of one of the defibrillators.

“We were at a football game, a home game, and an old man came down the steps at the stadium and then passed out in front of the stadium. This was probably about eight to 10 years ago, and people were yelling to get an AED, and someone ran to the concession stand and got an AED, but by the time we got there, he had already come to and they didn’t use it. But at least people knew there was an AED on campus and they knew what to do,” Carter recalled.

While state law requires coaches and staff members to be trained in the use of AEDs, Allen County-Scottsville High School goes a step further by ensuring that all students also receive the necessary training to potentially save lives.

“We hope we never have to use AEDs, but they are there, our teachers are trained, and we have maps and locations of where they are throughout the district. Our students are trained because our athletes go through cardiology drills before every season starts. So a lot of our students know where they are, all of our freshmen are trained in CPR, so all of our students and staff should know where the AEDs are and how to use them,” he explained.

The Patriots will return to school on August 13.