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Save a Life:We'll Teach You How
Learning CPR and using an automated external defibrillator (AED) is a quick and easy way to save a life. Businesses in northeast Iowa are partnering with Northeast Iowa Community College to ensure their employees and customers are prepared in an emergency.
Fidelity Bank and Trust is one of those businesses. Jenni Noonan, Fidelity’s Chief Experience Officer, said,
Fidelity Bank and Trust’s partnership with NICC to purchase and train staff on CPR and AEDs is priceless. The health and safety of our customers and staff is a priority, always.
In Feb. 2024, Fidelity Bank and Trust installed AED units in its 31 branch locations throughout northeast Iowa. With over 275 employees, the bank is now equipped to respond to any critical situation that could arise.
The AED will assess the patient’s cardiac condition and deliver an electrical shock to help restore an effective rhythm if the patient is in cardiac arrest. The device is simple to use, walking the user through basic steps. Although the AED does not require special training, training helps improve confidence, proficiency and quality of CPR, translating to improved cardiac arrest survival outcomes.
Annually, during American Heart Month in February, Fidelity brings in an NICC trainer to certify someone from each branch in CPR and AED usage. Those certified employees then return to their branch and demonstrate to other staff how to use the AED.
“I feel that Fidelity’s investment in AEDs shows the huge commitment to our employees and customers, as well as the well-being of the general public in the communities we serve,” Terry Harder, SVP at Fidelity in Dyersville and member of Holy Cross Fire and Ambulance, said. “Seconds count when a cardiac event occurs. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), early defibrillation coupled with CPR can dramatically improve an individual’s chance of surviving a cardiac event. From my experience using an AED and performing CPR, there is no better feeling than providing someone and their family more time together.”
The AHA is the leader in research, education and training, providing current information to enhance response time and improve statistics. As an AHA Training Center, NICC can support your in-house CPR instructors or provide instructors to train on-location or at our campuses.
NICC has been a regional distributor of the Zoll® AEDs since 2015. In the last three years, the college partnered with government agencies, school districts, workplaces and nonprofits to train and deliver more than 375 units around the district.
Keep your eye out for AEDs placed at locations near you. Do you know how to use it? Many employers are training their workers to respond to potential emergencies. Don’t wait for your employer. Anyone can learn CPR or use an AED.
