First Church Awarded Lifesaving AEDs

We are delighted to share that, through the efforts of Ronda Kroeschen and other members of the congregation and Village Nursery School, First Church has been awarded three new Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) to replace the models we have had for the last ten years. Franciscan Health awarded these devices to First Church through their Revive & Survive grant program. These new AEDs are designed to be incredibly easy to use and can provide life-saving aid for someone experiencing cardiac arrest.

An AED can eliminate an abnormal heart rhythm responsible for sudden cardiac arrest. Combined with immediate bystander CPR and rapid emergency response via 911 dispatch, this device can help reestablish a regular heart rhythm and increase someone’s chances of survival by as much as 90%.

These AEDs are located in the Narthex kitchenette and both hallways upstairs and downstairs, clearly labelled with a sign above the cabinet in which the device can be found.

If you suspect someone may be experiencing a medical emergency, it is crucial you act as soon as possible. Follow these steps:

• Approach the person cautiously and attempt to elicit a response by tapping them on the shoulders and loudly asking if they are okay. If they do not blink, move, or make any sound, they are unresponsive and need immediate medical assistance.
• Call 911 or have someone else call and retrieve an AED as soon as possible.
• Once help is on the way, watch the person’s chest closely to look for regular breathing. If they are not breathing or are gasping irregularly without rhythm, they are in cardiac arrest and need immediate CPR.
• Push hard and fast in the center of the chest–at least two inches deep–at the rate of 100-120 beats per minute (to the beat of “Staying Alive” or even “Baby Shark”). These compressions will externally massage the heart and keep blood and oxygen moving around the body.
• As soon as the AED arrives, open it up and follow the audible prompts that will instruct you on how to use it. Ensure chest compressions are paused when it tells you to clear away from the patient to analyze the heart rhythm and then to deliver a shock to the heart, if it determines that is necessary.
• Continue chest compressions when it tells you it is safe, and continue to listen to the AED for instructions until the ambulance arrives to take over.

NOTE: The AEDs have additional instructions on how to use the device on children.

Thank you again to Franciscan Health and those in our community who worked to get us these new life-saving devices. If you have any questions or would like information on taking a CPR class, please reach out to Talitha Huber at thuber@fumcwl.org.