| Berea
College’s recent addition of four automated external defibrillators,
or AEDs, has increased safety and the capability to respond to
medical emergencies of students, staff or the public anywhere on
Berea’s campus,. AEDs, are used to jumpstart hearts that
have stopped beating and restore normal heart rhythm until medical
help can arrive.
The AEDs are located on the first and second floors of Seabury
Center and in the two main vehicles operated by the College’s
Public Safety Department.
Mike Morris, occupational health and safety manager at Berea,
explains that heart attack victims must have normal rhythm restored
within minutes to increase their chance of survival. By having
AEDs on campus, help can be initiated immediately, possibly saving
a life long before paramedics could respond to a 911 call and
arrive on the scene.
“There is a very small window of time,” Morris says. “A
person’s chance of survival decreases by 10% every minute.”
Public Safety officials as well as several students and faculty
have been trained to use the AEDs. Classes in CPR and use of
the AEDs are offered by Morris to interested students, faculty
and staff. The classes generally run 4 hours long and cost is
about $10.
Morris says he hopes the college will be able to purchase more
AEDs in the future to be placed in Phelps Stokes Chapel, Presser
(music) Hall, The Alumni Building and Boone Tavern—areas
where there are often large numbers of people – “anywhere
that will increase safety for students and others on our campus.”
For more information or to sign up for the AED/CPR classes please
contact Mike Morris via email at morrism@berea.edu or at (859)
985-3246.
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