Ashten Pottebaum is the school nurse at Kuemper Catholic School in Carroll, Iowa. She started in her role last spring and a priority of hers was to set up a maintenance schedule for the AEDs within the school buildings. This is very important to her as she learned that in recent years the school’s AEDs were used twice and saved lives both times!

“AEDs can be a lifesaving tool, but can be useless if not maintained. Developing a maintenance schedule and assigning a main contact is essential to keeping the devices functioning properly,” said Ashten. In addition to placing the AEDs in a visible location she incorporates AED awareness into annual staff training. “Knowing where to find the AED and how to use it can save precious time during an emergency.” While she hopes her school never has to use an AED again, she finds comfort in knowing their AEDs are up to date and in working order.