Alamance Regional Medical Center is donating 37 Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) machines to the Alamance-Burlington School System to help ensure students, staff and visitors have easy access to this lifesaving device in cases of sudden cardiac arrest.

The AEDs are valued at $46,204 and will allow every high school to have two portable AEDs that can be used at athletic events in addition to a wall-mounted AED. The donation will also provide an additional AED at every middle school for athletics.
 
“Having AEDs available in schools and during athletic events is vital as sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes,” says Lucy Kernodle, lead nurse of the Alamance-Burlington School System. “We are so grateful to have these AEDs available in case an emergency should arise.”

Previously, Alamance Regional donated a total of 22 AEDs to the Alamance-Burlington School System.   It is a recommended workplace safety requirement to have an AED on every school campus.  Alamance-Burlington Board of Education policy and procedures currently in place mandate a minimum of three staff members certified for AED, CPR, and Standard First Aid at each site. A team of five school nurses who are American Red Cross CPR Instructors is available to assist with the provision of CPR training for school personnel.

Alamance Regional Medical Center was recognized for the donation of the 37 Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) machines at the Jan. 28 meeting of the Alamance-Burlington School System Board of Education.