Rotary Club of Kenmore partners with Cardiac Crusade to register AED locations

Submitted by the Rotary Club of Kenmore, NY

The Rotary Club of Kenmore, NY has teamed up with Cardiac Crusade, a 501(c)(3) charity, to register AED locations in Kenmore, Buffalo and surrounding areas. This initiative’s mission is to save lives by providing 911 systems, and the general public, instant access to AED locations in case of sudden cardiac arrest.

Cardiac Crusade, in partnership with PulsePoint, is providing 911 systems free access to a map of verified AEDs located closest to a sudden cardiac victim, enabling 911 operators to direct bystanders to AED locations during an emergency.

Kenmore Rotary Past President Larry Coon said, "Our mission is to make a difference in our community and around the world. Joining Cardiac Crusade to register AED locations is an opportunity for us to make a meaningful impact in our community by helping to save lives in our community.”

Current Kenmore Rotary President Brandon Blatz added, “Buffalo was the focus of the sports world when Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed on national television from a sudden cardiac arrest. We had already planned to partner with Cardiac Crusade but, when Damar collapsed, it hit close to home; it made it real, and it helped us see the importance of our mission.”

Julie Coon and her husband, Greg, founded Cardiac Crusade. Julie, part of the 10% club that survives a sudden cardiac arrest, stated, "We are excited to have the Rotary Club join us on our mission to save lives. Their partnership with us will go a long way in identifying and registering more AED locations in Kenmore, Buffalo and the surrounding area."

Cardiac Crusade works with volunteer groups such as Rotary Clubs, Kiwanis, Scouts BSA, and student groups to register AED locations in their communities. To get started, volunteers and leaders can access “Get AED Locations on the Map in YOUR City – A Step by Step Guide” from the Cardiac Crusade website, https://cardiaccrusade.org/.

There are a number of ways volunteers can help to get AED locations on the map.

√ Follow Cardiac Crusade on Facebook for upcoming events and notices.

√ Be a social media advocate – share the “Stayin’ Alive” video from Cardiac Crusade’s home page. The video captures real cardiac arrest saves using CPR and AEDs.

√ Identify and register AED locations. Open a browser on a smartphone and type aed.new. In the “Search business name or address” field, enter the business name and follow instructions.

√ Become an AED location verifier so 911 operators can access those AEDs to direct bystanders to retrieve the closest AED. Training takes 20 minutes via Cardiac Crusade’s website. Click the red button: “Become an AED Location Verifier.”

√ Add outdoor AED Kiosks to public places in communities. Cardiac Crusade has a program for those connected to local government leaders to get AED kiosks in local parks, athletic fields, and other public gathering locations. Contact Cardiac Crusade for details.

√ Be a Cardiac Crusade champion. A Cardiac Crusade champion leads an “army of volunteers” in their city. Download “Get AED Locations on the Map in YOUR City – A Step by Step Guide” from the Cardiac Crusade website, https://cardiaccrusade.org/.

Cardiac Crusade’s initiative is currently in phase 1: Registering AED locations, and making those locations available to 911 systems. The phase two goal is getting AED locations searchable natively on a phone via Google Maps and Apple Maps.

For more information on the initiative, to donate, or watch Julie’s TED Talk, visit the Cardiac Crusade website at www.cardiaccrusade.org.