CULLMAN, Ala. – Cullman VFW Post 2214 on Thursday evening received an automated external defibrillator/automatic electronic defibrillator (AED) from the Cullman County Medical Society. Dr. Mark Addison made the presentation to Post Commander Will Harris, accompanied by Dr. Mike Schendel, also a VFW member who organized the presentation, and Dr. Adam Harrison.
Speaking to The Tribune before the presentation, Harrison explained the purpose of an AED:
“When the heart goes into a rhythm that needs to be shocked to get back into a normal rhythm, such as a heart attack–certain heart attacks–you can place the pads on the patient and the AED will walk you through, by voice commands–so a layperson out in the community can use it–to automatically give shocks to the patient, to get them back resuscitated.”
Schendel talked about how VFW Post 2214 got its AED.
“A couple of meetings ago, someone of the veterans said, ‘You know, we need one of those AEDs in here,’ and as I looked around and saw lots of gray hair and some lack of hair, I agreed with him!” he smiled.
“I appealed to the Cullman County Medical Society to see if they wouldn’t mind helping us with the cost. And they did. I was able to speak to the officers: the vice president, Dr. Adam Harrison and the president, Dr. Mark Addison and a couple of other interested members. We were able to pull off funding of an automatic external defibrillator, an AED, which is now going to be the property of the post and be onsite for those unfortunate emergencies.”
EMTs Kaleb Jones and Kristen Wilks from Cullman EMS came out to walk post members through the procedure for using the device.
After presenting the device, Addison told Harris, “I hope y’all get a charge out of that!”
For more on Cullman’s VFW Post 2214, visit www.facebook.com/cullmanVFWPost/.
Copyright 2019 Humble Roots, LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Members of VFW Post 2214 and Auxiliary gather around as the Cullman County Medical Society’s Dr. Mark Addison presents the defibrillator to Post Commander Will Harris. (W.C. Mann for The Cullman Tribune)
Cullman EMS EMT Kaleb Jones explains the use of the defibrillator. (W.C. Mann for The Cullman Tribune)
