Natchez — On Feb. 12, through the donations of Dr. Vikram Dulam and Natchez Community Hospital, the Natchez Trace Kiwanis Club was able to present an automated external defibrillator to the Natchez Senior Citizens Multi-Purpose Center.

In the event that a person would experience sudden cardiac arrest, the machine is used to shock an individual’s heart back into normal rhythm.

The AED is totally automatic and very easy to use. Once the machine is activated, voice prompts walk the user through the process.

Sabrena Bartley, senior center executive director, stated that she was extremely pleased that the Natchez Senior Citizens Center was the recipient of the AED and that her staff would be fully trained by Angie Brown and the American Red Cross.

Training on the proper use of the AED will become part of the staff’s annual CPR certification course.

Dulam said that while the AED can aid in the life saving efforts, the time in which it is used is highly important.

For every one minute an individual spends in cardiac arrest the chances of survival go down over a period of up to 10 minutes.

“Defibrillators save lives and with the aging population at the Center, the AED will be in the perfect place to help if and when the situation arises,” he said.