At the annual meeting a few weeks ago, the Board of Deacons proposed that we purchase an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). The proposal was accepted with a caveat that we seek a grant. We explored here and there and were mostly turned down, but one of the places that turned us down did offer a sale price that was better than the best sale price we’d previously found.
We took delivery of the AED and will install it in a box mounted on the wall in the chapel, to the left of the fireplace. See the forthcoming photo. (We’re installing it this afternoon, and I’ll post a picture when we’re done.)
An AED is a computer that reads the rhythms of the heart of someone who has stopped breathing and upon whom a rescue team is doing CPR. It can be used by anyone who knows how to do CPR. One of the advantages to using an AED if someone goes down with a heart attack in our building, is that when the Waterbury Ambulance Service comes, they will be able to immediately hook up their equipment to ours and thus begin more specialized treatment immediately.
On February 5, eight of us from the congregation were trained in CPR by the Waterbury Ambulance Service and in the use of our new AED. We certainly hope we never need to use it. But it is good to know and be prepared.