Once complete, the new Rockhill soccer field house will have a brand new AED generously donated by Cintas. The company offered a free AED to local schools, and Alliance City School is grateful to be a recipient of one of the life-saving devices.
An AED, or an automated external defibrillator, is a portable device used to deliver an electric shock to restore a normal heart rhythm during sudden cardiac arrest. Cintas is the leading supplier of AEDs in the United States. Every week, approximately one life in the U.S. is saved with a Cintas AED.
“We hope that you never use it,” said Michael Smith, Regional General Manager for Cintas. “But if it’s there, we hope you can save someone’s life and help impact them.”
In November of 2022, the Rockhill field house caught fire and the AED inside was lost. Nick Cowles, Director of Operations at ACS, explained the situation to Cintas. With their donation, the AED will be replaced and will be available should it be needed.
“Thank you for the donation,” said Tyler Kinser, ACS Board Member. “We hope we don’t have to use it, but it’s reassuring that if we need it for an athletic participant or a fan, that we’ve got it.”
A person of any age can go into cardiac arrest for a number of reasons. On average, 300,000 individuals in the U.S. will go into cardiac arrest each year. Having access to an AED can help to save their lives. ACS staff experienced this firsthand and their quick action and the life saving AED had a tremendous impact in recent years.
“We appreciated, not only what you’re doing today, but what you’ve provided in the past,” said Rob Gress, Superintendent of Alliance City Schools. “You made a big impact by saving two near and dear lives to us - one student and one staff member. We are proud we were able to react and respond to those emergencies. We wouldn’t have been able to do that without your help.”
Stephanie McKnight, a former Cintas trainer and current Sports Medicine Teacher at Alliance High School, knew just what to do when a staff member went into sudden cardiac arrest nearly a decade ago. She was able to use the device to save the person’s life. Cintas heard of the occurrence and provided McKnight with a certificate. The company also had her take part in videos explaining her experience with utilizing the device.
“It was a neat tie in there,” Smith stated. “We knew you guys are committed to safety from a public perspective and an employee and student side, so we felt like it was a really good fit. You already know the importance of it and you’ve seen that effect.”
Construction on the Rockhill Soccer Field House will begin soon. Once completed, Cintas will return to assist with installing the device in the building.