CARY, N.C. -- EpiPens can be a life saver for food allergies, and the Wake County School Board made sure they were in supply at schools Tuesday evening.

The board's policy commission discussed the portable shot and the state's guidelines for keeping EpiPens in schools. North Carolina law dictates all schools must have at least two EpiPens ready to use in case of emergency and that at least two school staffers are trained on how to use it.

Many students who are at risk for food allergies already carry and use their own EpiPens, but the school board says the state law is important to keep kids who may not know they have a food allergy safe.

"Technical solutions need to be there, like the EpiPen and the defibrillator, if you need that technical solution," said Jim Martin of the Wake County School Board. "Most important for the safety of the school children are the relationships between the adults and the students."

According to Food Allergy Research and Education, more than 15 percent of students across the nation have gone through a food allergy attack while at school.