COLUMBIA – During the South Carolina High School League’s state championship games, Fairfield Central High School was selected as one of the winners of the ‘Absolute Total Care AED Challenge.’ Through this initiative, the Griffins received a life-saving AED device.

An AED device, which stands for Automated External Defibrillator, is a portable, battery-powered medical device that is designed to analyze a person’s heart rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electric shock to restore a normal heartbeat after sudden cardiac arrest. The devices are created to be user-friendly and provide audible step-by-step instructions so that bystanders without medical training are able to use the devices effectively.

According to My Heart Map from the University of Pennsylvania, AEDs are important because they strengthen survival chances:

“Portable AEDs enable more people to respond to a medical emergency that requires defibrillation. When a person suffers a sudden cardiac arrest, their chance of survival decreases by 7% to 10% for each minute that passes without defibrillation. AEDs save lives.”