Thanks to a generous grant from The Hillsdale Fund, the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is offering $500 grants to elementary and secondary schools to enable them to acquire recertified automated external defibrillators to help save lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest in school settings. Schools may also opt to apply the grants toward new AEDs. The lifesaving devices will be provided by Enerspect Medical Solutions, a partner of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, which carries all AED brands.

PITTSBURGH, PA--The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation has announced its You Can Save a Life at School AED Grant Program, which aims to help elementary and secondary schools acquire AEDs to prepare to save the lives of students, teachers, administrators, parents, and other visitors who suffer sudden cardiac arrest in school settings. The program was made possible by The Hillsdale Fund, an independent foundation based in Greenville, NC.

The $500 grants will enable schools to acquire recertified AEDs. (Limit one grant per school.) Specifically, the School Value AED Package includes a recertified AED with a one-year warranty plus a wall sign. Schools may also opt to apply the grant toward purchase of a new AED with an extended warranty. AEDs will be provided exclusively by Enerspect Medical Solutions, a partner of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation, which carries all defibrillator brands.

Background

Sudden cardiac arrest is the third leading cause of death in the U.S. The sudden, unexpected, pulseless condition strikes more than 326,000 people outside hospitals each year—including 9,500 people 18 years of age or younger. On average, less than 10 percent of victims survive.

Effective treatment of SCA requires immediate response from bystanders who recognize the emergency, call 911, start CPR, and use the nearest defibrillator. The likelihood of survival decreases by 10 percent with every passing minute after collapse. But when bystanders provide CPR and defibrillation before EMS arrives, survival rates can double or triple.

Eligibility

Applicants must represent a public, parochial, or non-profit elementary, middle, high or combined school located in the U.S. For-profit schools and schools that have previously received an AED from the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation are ineligible.

The school’s authorized representative must ensure that the school is committed to following the American Heart Association Cardiac Emergency Response Plan, developed by the AHA in collaboration with the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation and other nonprofit organizations. 

The recommendations include:

• A commitment to train faculty, staff, and students in CPR and AED use
• Strategic AED placement with clear signage in locations that are readily accessible to the public
• Development of a cardiac emergency response plan
• Regular cardiac emergency response drills
• Coordination with the local EMS system.

Details of the Cardiac Arrest Emergency Plan are available here.

To apply for a grant, click here. 

Deadline: October 31, 2015

Note: Grant awards will be announced in February 2016.

About the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation

The Sudden Cardiac Arrest Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) community benefit organization whose mission is “To raise awareness about sudden cardiac arrest and support programs that give ‘ordinary’ people the power to save a life.” The Foundation’s website includes a section targeted to schools, www.sca-aware.org/schools, with tips for schools preparing to save lives threatened by sudden cardiac arrest.