Iroquois High School security officer saved by co-workers and the school's new AED

AND A NEWLY INSTALLED DEVICE HELPED SAVE HIS LIFE. HE WAS INSTALLED AT IROQUOIS HIGH SCHOOL IN DECEMBER OF 2023, AND LITTLE DID STAFF KNOW THAT THEY WOULD NEED IT BEFORE THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR. THE FUNNIEST THING IS I’M THE ONE THAT’S TRAINED TO SAVE THE LIFE IN THIS BUILDING, AND IT’S AMAZING THAT THEY JOINED TOGETHER AND SAVED MINE. LAST WEEK, ROBERT TAYLOR, THE SRO AND GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH AT IROQUOIS HIGH SCHOOL, WAS WALKING DOWN THIS HALLWAY WHEN HE COLLAPSED FROM A HEART ATTACK. WE HEARD ON THE RADIO THAT ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS HAD GONE DOWN, AND SO WE CAME OUT OF THE DOORWAY AND LOOKED DOWN THE HALLWAY AND WE SAW COACH TAYLOR, UH, SORT OF UNRESPONSIVE ON THE FLOOR. WHEN I TURNED THE CORNER, COACH WATSON WAS DOING CPR. I RAN UP BASED ON MY TRAINING. I CHECKED THE PULSE AT THE WRIST, FOUND NOTHING, WENT TO THE CAROTID IN THE NECK, FOUND NOTHING. BOTH MATT KINGSLEY AND DYLAN WATSON DID CPR WHILE PERRY FINDLAY RAN TO GET ONE OF THE SCHOOL’S NEW AED. I WALKED BY IT EVERY MORNING. I SEE IT EVERY DAY. SO I THINK THAT HAD A LOT TO DO WITH ME KNOWING WHERE IT WAS AND THAT WE NEEDED IT. THE SCHOOL’S NURSES, HAYLEY MCNALLY AND MICHELLE ASIA, THEN ADMINISTERED TWO SHOCKS TO TAYLOR. THAT’S WHEN PARAMEDICS ARRIVED ON THURSDAY, TAYLOR WAS FINALLY ABLE TO THANK HIS COWORKERS FOR THEIR LIFE SAVING ACTIONS. I JUST WANT TO TELL THEM THANK YOU FOR GIVING MY DAUGHTERS ANOTHER CHANCE WITH THEIR DAD AND ME TO BE ABLE TO SEE MY GRANDKIDS, ONE MORE TIME. AFTER A FEW DAYS IN THE HOSPITAL, TAYLOR IS NOW RECOVERING AT HOME WITH HIS DAUGHTER AND TWO GRANDKIDS. HE SAYS HE FEELS GREAT, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE LOVE HE’S RECEIVED FROM HIS IROQUOIS FAMILY. I’M GLAD THAT I WENT WITH THE WORK FAMILY THAT REALLY CARES, AND I REALLY AP

The security resource officer at Iroquois High School is lucky to be alive after he collapsed from a heart attack at the school last Monday. Robert Taylor, an alumni and employee for 10 years, was walking down a hallway at Iroquois last week when he collapsed. Nearby teachers and staff immediately came to aid Taylor. "We heard on the radio that one of the staff members had gone down. And so we came out of the doorway and looked down the hallway, and we saw Coach Taylor sort of unresponsive on the floor," said Dealdon Watson, a teacher at Iroquois. Watson then began CPR on Taylor, and Assistant Principal Matt Kingsley then assisted him."I ran up and based on my training, I checked the pulse at the wrist, found nothing. Went to the carotid in the neck, found nothing," Kingsley said.Perry Finley, a teacher, went to get the AED from the gym. Earlier this year, JCPS required that all schools in the district have at least one AED. Iroquois got theirs in December."I walk by it every morning. I see it every day. So I think that had a lot to do with me knowing where it was and that we needed it," Finley said.The school's nurses, Haley McAnelly and Michele Asia, then administered the AED shock to Taylor. They all continued CPR until the paramedics arrived. Taylor doesn't remember the incident or the minutes before. He said he's just grateful to have caring staff members surrounding him."I'm glad that I am with a work family that really cares, and I really appreciate y'all," Taylor said.Taylor is now recovering at home with his daughter and her two sons. He said he's unsure if he will return to work in the fall.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. —

The security resource officer at Iroquois High School is lucky to be alive after he collapsed from a heart attack at the school last Monday.

Robert Taylor, an alumni and employee for 10 years, was walking down a hallway at Iroquois last week when he collapsed. Nearby teachers and staff immediately came to aid Taylor.

"We heard on the radio that one of the staff members had gone down. And so we came out of the doorway and looked down the hallway, and we saw Coach Taylor sort of unresponsive on the floor," said Dealdon Watson, a teacher at Iroquois.

Watson then began CPR on Taylor, and Assistant Principal Matt Kingsley then assisted him.

"I ran up and based on my training, I checked the pulse at the wrist, found nothing. Went to the carotid in the neck, found nothing," Kingsley said.

Perry Finley, a teacher, went to get the AED from the gym. Earlier this year, JCPS required that all schools in the district have at least one AED. Iroquois got theirs in December.

"I walk by it every morning. I see it every day. So I think that had a lot to do with me knowing where it was and that we needed it," Finley said.

The school's nurses, Haley McAnelly and Michele Asia, then administered the AED shock to Taylor. They all continued CPR until the paramedics arrived.

Taylor doesn't remember the incident or the minutes before. He said he's just grateful to have caring staff members surrounding him.

"I'm glad that I am with a work family that really cares, and I really appreciate y'all," Taylor said.

Taylor is now recovering at home with his daughter and her two sons. He said he's unsure if he will return to work in the fall.

Iroquois High School security officer saved by co-workers and the school's new AED

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