Naomi Kertesz, MD, demonstrates how to use an AED at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Kertesz works to ensure as many people as possible know the simple steps to using an AED that can save a life after sudden cardiac arrest.

BUCKEYE STATE schools are now required to have life-saving AEDs on site, and meeting that mandate won’t be difficult for local schools since nearly all of them have had the devices on hand for years.

On July 23, Gov. Mike Dewine signed a bill requiring Ohio schools to have an automated external defibrillator, or AED — a portable emergency device that delivers an electric shock to the heart when it stops working properly.

An AED has the potential to save the life of a person of any age who is experiencing cardiac arrest.

According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, using an AED can increase a child’s chance of surviving a cardiac event from 48% to 89%, and they are an effective tool to diagnose and treat abnormal heart rhythms.

Most schools in Eastern Ohio already have AEDs in their buildings including Bridgeport Exempted Village School District, Bellaire Local Schools, Martins Ferry City Schools, Union Local Schools, Harrison Hills City School District and St. Clairsville-Richland City School District.

Bridgeport Superintendent Brent Ripley said designated locations in all Bridgeport schools hold AEDs, which are easily accessible if the emergency tool ever needs to be used. The pre-K through 12th grade school building, the softball field and football stadium are all places the AED can be found, and one will be installed in the board office soon.

“We have two nurses here on site, and it was really their vision. They thought the AEDs were that important,” Ripley said. “You never know when you might need them. They’re such a great life-saving device that we just felt the benefit from having them outweighed the cost.”

Ripley said the schools have had the tools for “quite a long time” and that every employee goes through a yearly training on how to use them. It is a part of the district’s safety training done on site, and Ripley is a member of the faculty who is trained on how to use them.

The district has been very fortunate that they haven’t had to use an AED, he said, but having them brings peace of mind, especially with all of the road construction in Bridgeport right now. He said having the device can initiate life-saving measures before emergency personnel arrive, which can take some time with the construction.

Bridgeport’s AEDS are also checked monthly, ensuring the batteries are good, he said.

Bellaire schools have a similar arrangement regarding AED usage. Derrick McAfee, superintendent of Bellaire schools, said AEDs are held in each school building, at athletic facilities and at other school facilities.

Bellaire staff members also are periodically trained on how to use the tools. Although not every staff member is trained currently, they will be for the coming school year, McAfee said.

He noted that the schools have had the tools for as long as he’s been there, which he described as 16-17 years.

“First and foremost, everything we do is student safety, which is why we’ve been compliant with AEDs for years and years,” he said. “You just never know. … It really just gives us the ability to make sure we have the necessary tools to keep our staff and our students safe.”

Jayme Yonak, assistant superintendent and special education director at Union Local Schools, said her district has had AEDs for years as well. She mentioned that students’ safety is a top priority within the district, so AEDs are installed in every building, the field house and baseball field, while all teachers and staff are trained annually on how to use them.

Yonak emphasized she would rather have more than the five that the schools have now rather than not having any and needing one.

“The safety of our students is always the number one priority, and you just never know when you’re going to have the emergency situation,” she said. “We would definitely rather be safe than sorry, and we’d rather have all these AEDs that we have in our district.”

She said schools are working with parents’ most precious asset every day — their kids — so having these emergency tools is important and necessary.

The AEDs are not only for students, Yonak noted. The tools can be used for community members who come to school functions, too.

“I think it’s just made us more prepared,” she said. “And you know, anytime that you’re prepared, you feel better.”

Yonak also mentioned that while it is good to have these tools, they must be strategically placed. That is why they can be found at outdoor facilities, where sporting events and extracurricular activities are happening.

Martins Ferry schools also have had the life-saving tools for several years. Superintendent Jim Fogle believes AEDs are very user friendly, making it easier to aid a person experiencing cardiac arrest.

AEDs are located in all of the Purple Riders’ facilities, including every school building, the central office, the bus garage and football stadium. They are placed so that they are accessible to the staff. They are in the nurses’ stations, the hallway near the gym and cafeteria and other easily accessible spots, Fogle said.

Martins Ferry staff members have been trained to use them as part of their emergency operations plan, and every year they take an online refresher course, he said.

“I think anytime you have the equipment, such as an AED, you are providing just another safety net in case someone is in need of an AED,” Fogle said. “So, you know, just another safety device that we are able to use if needed.”

Ken Parker, principal at Harrison Central, said he was surprised that requiring AEDs in schools was ever a conversation in the first place because they are necessary life-saving tools. Parker said Harrison County schools have had these tools “forever.”

The AEDs are found across the whole school campus, including the Stevenson Center and other facilities. All of the teachers receive training on how to use them along with the nurses, principals and other faculty.

“You just never know when something can happen,” Parker said. “It’s good to have that resource available. You know, pretty handy, because again, when you deal with cardiac arrest or whatever, it’s really important that the quicker you can respond the more positive outcome.”

The St. Clairsville district has had the tools in all of its buildings and athletic facilities for several years. The school nurses and entire staff are trained annually on how to use these tools, according to Superintendent Walter Skaggs.

“It’s proven that they save lives,” he said. “And with the technology that they have, training is very easy to give your staff. So it’s something that is easy to do, and something I think if you don’t do it, then you’re doing a disadvantage to someone that has an issue and needs the AED.”