Rotary/Kiwanis donate defibrillators to BBCC

Every publicly accessible building at Big Bend Community College now has an automated external defibrillator (AED) thanks to two Moses Lake service clubs.

The Rotary Club of Moses Lake and Kiwanis Club of Moses Lake partnered this past year to raise $25,800 to purchase 18 wall-mounted AEDs and their cabinets, plus two portable AED units that can travel with athletic teams or campus security.

Automated external defibrillators are portable devices that can check heart rhythm and send an electric shock to the heart to restore normal rhythm. AEDs are used to treat sudden cardiac arrest.

“Big Bend hosts so many people in so many buildings that having access to an AED in each facility is a leap forward for campus safety,” said BBCC President Terry Leas. “The service clubs took o

n a meaningful project that is appreciated by everyone at BBCC.”

The college previously had only three AEDs–in the library, the gymnasium, and one carried in the security vehicle that patrols campus.

While more than 70 BBCC employees were recently certified on how to use AEDs, the new devices make it possible for a novice to pull one off the wall and save a life.

“The new AEDs are easy to use and won’t give a shock unless internal sensors decide the person needs it,” said Kyle Foreman, Director of Campus Safety and Security at BBCC.

“Having AEDs available in our professional/technical buildings will be a great asset for campus safety,” said Foreman. “It is also great to know we’ll finally have one in the theater.”