Tonight, September 28 from 6:00-7:00, Janet Trethewey will be speaking in the Turner School Gymnasium about Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Sponsored by emergency response personnel with Blaine County 2 Ambulance (Big Flat), Trethewey is the Cardiac Ready Manager at the Montana Department of Health and Human Services.

Everyone, high school age and older, is welcome to attend Trethewey's presentation entitled, "Saving Lives in High School Sports." While children are also welcome, they may have more fun being outside during this informational session, according to event organizers.

Trethewey will be sharing data about how AEDs have saved the lives of numerous student athletes in Montana. Upon the conclusion of Trethewey's talk, Blaine 2 Ambulance will be donating an AED to the Turner School Athletic Department. Ambulance Service Director, Steve Leitner will be on hand to make the presentation.

Cardiac Ready Communities Program (CRCP) is a grant project geared towards improving the survivability of individuals experiencing a cardiac arrest. By training community members in CPR, increasing the number of AEDs in a community, and improving 911 dispatching and EMS services, Trethewey and others involved with the CRCP hope to increase the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest from less than 5% to 50%. As Program Manager, Trethewey was charged in 2015 with helping communities develop their specific plans of action to become Cardiac Ready.

According to CRCP personnel, Montana is a large state with long stretches of road between communities. The time-sensitive nature of cardiovascular emergencies requires that all links in the chain of survival be as strong as possible to improve survival rates and to decrease disability for the state's 1.3 million residents. Having additional training and an AED at the Turner School will help to strengthen that chain.