Enviva assists with AED training program at area churches
Published 3:51 pm Friday, October 7, 2022
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Community leader and small business owner, Rev. Dawn Daly-Mack, RN, of Double D Health & Safety, recently identified a need for proper equipment and training in the case of an emergency at churches in her local community.
Pictured during the distribution of AED devices were, front row from left, Peggy Harding (Roanoke Salem Baptist Church), Sharvon Buffaloe, RN (trainer, Kipp Academy), Rev. Dawn Daly-Mack, RN (Cool Springs Missionary Baptist Church), and Pastor Rick Russell (Shiloh UMC); along with, back row from left, Pastor Edwin Horsley (Roanoke Salem Baptist Church), and Chris Brown, Enviva Community Relations. Contributed Photo
Specifically, Daly-Mack was seeking to develop a program where four members of each of the five area churches could be trained in the use of CPR and AED usage.
“Heart disease is the #1 killer of all people,” stated Daly-Mack. “Most cardiac incidents do not occur in doctor’s offices or hospitals. They occur in the community. The response time for volunteer emergency assistance often takes too long in rural communities. It is particularly important that there are members of the community that are trained in living saving CPR and AED usage. Cost should not be a barrier.”
An AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a type of computerized defibrillator that automatically analyzes the heart rhythm in people who are experiencing cardiac arrest. When appropriate, it delivers an electrical shock to the heart to restore its normal rhythm.
Daly-Mack began to raise funds for the purchase of the AED’s while she started the process of training church members at Cool Spring Missionary Baptist Church, Roanoke Salem Missionary Baptist Church, Branches Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, Shiloh United Methodist Church, and Sharon Baptist Church (South Hill VA).
When presented with the project, Enviva was pleased to be able to help with this community outreach program. It took some time to tie in the support with the logistics during COVID times, but thankfully the AEDs finally arrived and were distributed to church leaders.
“I personally know one of our community partners who is alive today because an AED unit was in the area when he experienced difficulty,” stated Enviva’s Chris Brown. “So, it really drives home how valuable these units are in public areas.”