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McKinney students 3D-print low-cost AED brackets for city and schools
Summary
McKinney ISD GT students designed and 3D-printed low-cost brackets to mount AEDs across city facilities and schools, a partnership introduced by the McKinney Fire Department that could cut hardware costs from about $100 per bracket to roughly $7 in material per unit.
McKinney — Students in McKinney Independent School District’s gifted-and-talented program have produced 3D-printed brackets to hold automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at city and school sites, officials said at a joint City Council and school board meeting on Feb. 9.
Battalion Chief Patonchi Ben Jones of the McKinney Fire Department told the joint session the department sought a more visible and affordable mounting solution after finding manufacturer brackets cost about $100 each. He said he reached out to MISD’s GT program to pose the challenge to students.
"This right here is the AEDs that we're putting all throughout the community," Daniel Burrow, who identified himself as part of the McKinney Elementary GT program, told the joint meeting as students' designs were displayed. Burrow said an individual printed piece uses about $7 worth of filament and that multiple student designs — including McKinney-themed and department-specific styles — are ready to print and replace bulky commercial boxes.
District and city staff said the project creates educational value while addressing a public-safety need: students learn design and fabrication skills and the city gains cheaper, customizable hardware to increase AED visibility. Officials said the Fire Department has provided 3D printers to support the effort and that replacement prints are simple if a department wants a different look.
The presentation did not include a formal procurement or deployment schedule; officials said next steps are logistical (printing, testing fit and mounting) and coordination between the district and city. No funding vote or formal policy change was taken at the meeting.
The joint session also featured other items; the AED-bracket presentation was introduced early in the agenda and emphasized both student learning and a practical public-safety benefit.
