Puget Sound Energy Funds AED Program in the Northwest
From left: Wendy Weiker, Puget Sound Energy; Scott Phillips, King County Advisory Board Chair; Lisa Borders, Director of Corporate Engagement; Lt. Colonel Bill Dickinson, Divisional Commander
Puget Sound Energy recently gave a generous gift in the name of saving lives. Their donation of $14,000 to The Salvation Army Northwest Division allows us to purchase up-to-date AEDs and provide vital training to staff in service centers throughout the region.
According to the American Heart Association, over 350,000 people suffer from cardiac arrest outside of a hospital in the United States every year, and less than 12% survive. For every minute that passes without CPR or defibrillation, the chances of survival decrease by 7-10%. At The Salvation Army, many of our clients are experiencing homelessness, or are from low-income families who are food insecure and do not have access to regular healthcare, putting them at higher risk for disease.
With the increased likelihood of a heart attack taking place at one of our facilities, these new tools and training are invaluable. The training will increase the confidence and ability of our staff to handle a situation in which an AED or CPR needs to be administered, allowing us to be better prepared for emergency situations.
We are humbled by this gift from Puget Sound Energy, and we thank them for their continued commitment to serving those in need.
The Salvation Army was founded in 1865 when William Booth decided to take his ministry into the streets of London where it would reach the poor, the homeless, the hungry and the destitute. It is now part of the universal Christian Church, and an international organization meeting human needs in 130 countries around the globe. The Salvation Army continues its tradition in the Northwest by serving more than 600,000 people annually, always meeting human needs without discrimination. Among the services offered in this region are food, shelter, addiction recovery, domestic violence aid, youth programs, and disaster relief.