Second Baptist Church has received Automated External Defibrillators (AED) units through a grant from the Amiel P. Zak Public Service Fund at the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving.
Second Baptist regularly welcomes many civic and community groups regularly into their building space, including a preschool, the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Kent Memorial Library, Suffield Garden Club, Cetto Chamber Singers, AA groups, theater and yoga classes among others. We also host a monthly Fellowship for People with Special Needs/Disabilities in partnership with the Suffield Parks and Recreation department. This service provides a social outlet for those with mental, physical, and cognitive disabilities in our community. Second Baptist looks forward to safely reopening to these public services and more as conditions allow. These AED units are an essential tool when it comes to saving a life in the instance of sudden cardiac arrest, when a heart suddenly stops beating. Sudden cardiac arrest can occur after a heart attack, drowning, electrical shock or other potentially deadly situations. AEDs come with pads that can be applied to someone in cardiac arrest, and the device can monitor the person’s heart rhythm and administer an electric shock if necessary to get the heart back in rhythm.
Along with having an AED nearby, a key step in saving lives during instances of sudden cardiac arrest is widespread knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. In addition to installing the new units, Second Baptist will offer CPR sessions. These sessions will not offer CPR certification, but will teach the fundamental skills necessary to save a life using CPR and understanding and using the AEDs.
“We are so very grateful of the Zak Foundation’s support, as we move one step closer in our hope to assure the physical health and safety of the many members of the Suffield community who cross our threshold regularly. We’ll now be able to respond more quickly and appropriately in the event of cardiac emergencies in our space,” shared Rev. Dr. Rachael Lawrence, Acting Pastor of Second Baptist Church.