Frisco ISD Maus Middle School students learned how to conduct CPR with the school’s new kit donated by AT&T.

AT&T also donated another kit to Reedy High School as part of its $30,000 contribution to support the American Heart Association’s CPR in Schools Program. The partnership highlights a new state law requiring CPR training in Texas schools.

FISD is one of five school districts in North Texas receiving CPR training kits as part of the program.

“Each of us should know how to do CPR,"FISD Superintendent Jeremy Lyon said in a press release. "Thanks to AT&T and the American Heart Association, as well as our state legislature for the passage of House Bill 897, our North Texas students in grades seven through twelve will now be empowered to learn core SPR skills, which, if applies properly, can double or even triple a victim’s chance of survival."

The AHA CPR in Schools Training Kit teaches students the core skills of CPR as well as AED skills and choking relief techniques.

Each kit includes: 10 mini inflatable manikins; 10 kneel mats with carry bags; 10 "practice while watching" training DVDs; a hand pump for manikin inflation; two mesh collection and storage bags; a classroom carry bag; 50 replacement airways; 50 manikin wipes; 10 replacement masks; and a facilitator guide.

This is not the first time FISD has taught CPR to their students. The district already has a program in place for sixth graders to learn CPR during their PE/health classes. The program was put into place after student Kylee Shea collapsed from a heart arrhythmia in the hallway at Mause Middle School in 2011. Two teachers performed CPR on her and used an AED defibrillator to regulate her heartbeat.

After that incident, the district began the CPR program with kits that would rotate amongst the middle schools. With the donation from AT&T, Maus Middle School will have its own kit.

“This program is to give kids skills that can possibly save someone else’s life someday,” said Sheila Gardner, FISD director of coordinated school health. “As adults, we get scared to give CPR because we’re not sure if we’ll do it correctly and instead don’t do anything at all. These kids don’t have that fear and we let them know early on that it’s better to do something than nothing at all.”

Gardner said the overall goal is to have a kit in every school.

Frisco firefighter paramedics were also on hand to help train the sixth grade students using the kits for the first time.

“The kids really listened and had good form when performing CPR on the [inflatable] manikins,” Firefighter Bobby Vickery said. “We appreciate that kids are learning these skills early on because we depend on the public to take every precaution until we can get there.”