Fort Bend ISD athletic trainers at campuses including Ridge Point, Elkins and Marshall high schools now carry new automated external defibrillators, a safety upgrade distributed days before student-athletes return to competition for the 2026-27 school year.
The district handed out Avive Connect AEDs to its athletic training staff on Wednesday, July 29, according to the official FBISD Athletics account on X. The district said the devices add a layer of preparedness for time-critical emergencies.
The same day, trainers spent hours practicing emergency response skills with support from Houston Methodist-Sugar Land and local emergency response agencies, the district said in a separate post.
The timing was deliberate. The fall sports season was set to begin July 31 across the district.
Why it matters for families
Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading medical cause of death among NCAA athletes, according to the American Heart Association. Research cited by the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation found that when an on-site AED was used on young athletes ages 11 to 27, survival reached 89%, compared to an overall rate of 48% across all cases studied.
The Avive Connect AED is the only device on the market with built-in 911 integration, meaning it automatically alerts local dispatchers with the device's exact GPS location as soon as pads are placed on a patient's chest, according to the manufacturer. It weighs 2.1 pounds, runs on a rechargeable battery and performs daily self-tests through Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity.
Trainers already recognized
FBISD's athletic training program has drawn attention this year. June Tomlin, head athletic trainer at Elkins High School, was nominated for FBISD Head Athletic Trainer of the Year in May. Student athletic trainers from the district were recognized at the June 15 Fort Bend ISD Board of Trustees meeting for winning at the Texas State Association of Athletic Trainers state competition.
Under Texas law, school districts must make CPR and AED training available to employees, and coaches, school nurses and certain extracurricular sponsors are required to maintain certification.
What families need to know
Student-athletes must complete the UIL PAPF Eligibility Form in Rank One before participating in any FBISD middle or high school sport this school year.
