Northern Lebanon SD honors staff and first responders after life‑saving school response

Northern Lebanon School District presented Viking Valor and Viking Pillar awards at its June 2 meeting to employees and emergency responders who took life‑saving actions after a teacher collapsed at Northern Lebanon Elementary School on March 12, 2026.

The district’s safety and security coordinator described the incident: school staff discovered the teacher unresponsive at about 9:55 a.m., initiated CPR and used an AED; three people rotated chest compressions over roughly 10 minutes until EMS arrived and transported the teacher. The superintendent and board thanked the group and recognized 13 individuals with the Viking Valor award (life‑saving actions) and several additional staff with the Viking Pillar award (steady teamwork and support during the emergency).

The coordinator noted several staff could not attend the meeting due to personal reasons and asked those present to join for photographs. The board and superintendent said the teacher is alive today because of the quick response and quality medical care provided by staff and emergency personnel.

Legislative liaison Director Kryser noted pending state action: the legislature has moved a bill to require CPR and AED training for volunteers and staff and to ensure an AED‑trained person is present in each school each school day and at extracurricular events; the board member characterized that bill as likely to be signed and said the district will follow any new statutory requirements.

The board praised staff for quick action and professionalism and asked administration to continue training and to provide public recognition for the responders.