Jackson County Schools will have multiple AEDs after donation

JACKSON COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - It’s important for schools to be prepared for anything that might happen during school hours or sporting events.

“Knowing that it’s here and we have the trained faculty and staff to utilize and to implement the life saving device whenever it’s needed, that we have that capability, it will make everyone feel more at ease and more comfortable,” Grand Ridge School Principal Becky Hart said.

So when Jackson County Fire Rescue Chief Charlie Brunner was given 10 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to spread throughout Jackson County, he knew exactly what to do with them.

“These schools needed AEDs, but since this county is so large, they ran into a big burden with having to purchase AEDs that were unbudgeted for, so we were able to meet that need,” Brunner said.

When the School Board got them, they dispersed them to schools in Jackson County.

“Especially at some of our bigger high schools, multiple events go on at the same time, and having an additional AED or two really is going to help out this year,” Director of Risk Management, Safety and Transportation Hunter Nolen said.

Many Jackson County schools, like Grand Ridge School, may be far from local EMS, but now, with the addition of the AEDs, they will be able to perform life saving measures on their own.

When someone goes down at a sporting event, every minute counts.

“They can start CPR, provide defibrillation if needed in those precious first minutes and even seconds,” Brunner said.

“For some of the outlying schools this is going to be big for the overall safety of our students and staff,” Nolen said.

With the addition of these AEDs, each school in Jackson County will have at least two, with some larger schools having up to seven, to keep students, athletes and even fans safe.

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