​Learning to Save a Life: AED Training at St. John's

Paramedic Andrew Finlay demonstrates on a mannequin while three members of the congregation practice.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Eastern Kings Memorial Foundation, St. John’s was able to purchase an Automated External Defibrillator (AED). And thanks to Paramedic Andrew Finlay, we now know how to use it.
 
With the aid of training mannequins and AED practice devices, over two sessions – April 27 and May 13 – two dozen members of the congregation ran through real-life scenarios, learning everything from how to place the electrode pads to delivering a shock (if the device advises it), all while performing CPR to keep blood flowing.
 
We learned how critical those first few minutes are during a cardiac arrest and that using an AED within just a few minutes of collapse can dramatically increase a person’s chance of survival. After going through the step-by-step process, practicing it ourselves, and asking lots of questions, we walked away feeling not just informed, but empowered.

A huge thank you to the Eastern Kings Memorial Foundation for making this possible, and to Andrew for guiding us with patience.  We hope we never have to use our AED – but if the time ever comes, we’ll be ready.