DMPS Health Services Supervisor Diane Gladson remembers being in her office when her radio crackled to life and a voice asked for help with a student in distress.

“Nurse Diane, we need you.”

Gladson grabbed her emergency bag and was headed for the student’s location when the radio delivered worse news — the boy was not breathing.

“I immediately alerted my team to bring the AED (Automated External Defibrillator),” she said. “We all arrived at the same time.”

Privacy barriers were put up as Gladson and her team applied the AED pads to the student and started CPR. The principal called 911. The teacher was calling the student’s parents. Other team members were waiting by the front door to escort paramedics to the student’s location.

The AED, using information from the boy’s body, gave audio commands for CPR, but did not indicate a shock was needed. A few minutes into CPR the boy’s heartbeat was back.

“He gasped for breath and his color started to return,” Gladson said. “It was a miracle to see his color change from grey to pink as the paramedics wisked him away.”

Moments like that are why Gladson called Chief of Operations Bill Good to see about an AED for every one of Des Moines Public Schools’ 70 buildings. The district currently has 43 AEDs, and some of those need replacement. Good was able to arrange financing for 107 new AEDs through the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL), a fund increased by voters in 2019.

“I believe we will have a model plan going forward,” Good said.

Doug Richardson, the new DMPS safety compliance specialist, will oversee the installation and maintenance of the devices as part of his duties.

“According to the American Heart Association’s latest figures, 7,037 children die from cardiac arrest each year,” Richardson said. “When you consider how much time students spend in school, it’s critically important for our public schools to have AEDs readily available.”

The AEDs will replace older units available in some buildings and provide for a minimum of one AED in all DMPS buildings. Each DMPS Public Safety Patrol vehicle will also carry an AED.

The Des Moines Fire Department estimates a six-minute response time to Des Moines schools. The new machines are compatible with DMFD’s heart monitors, creating a seamless transition of care when paramedics arrive. Richardson says having and using an AED in those critical first few minutes increases the chances a patient will survive.

“They are easy to use,” said Richardson. “The machine walks you through each step of the process. Everyone should feel comfortable aiding a person in cardiac arrest.”

Gladson says she’s very proud of her team for responding as they had in countless practice scenarios and thankful to have the AED.

“It was amazing to have the EKG readout from the AED to see the timeline of the flatline until his heartbeat resumed,” she said.

“It still brings tears to my eyes when I visualize his face and how grateful his family was to have their son back,” she said. “I felt tremendous peace afterward that we were able to immediately deliver emergency care.”

The Des Moines school board approved the plan to purchase the AEDs at their meeting on February 2. Installation is scheduled to begin in March.