At the State University of New York College at Cortland, the new automatic external defibrillators arrived just in time. After the school worked for two years to organize a Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) program, its first AED units arrived at the beginning of the summer, just days before the start of the Empire State Senior Games.

"Right after the 500-meter event, one of the swimmers came out of the pool and wasn't feeling well," says Athletic Trainer Steven Meyer, who is also an EMT and the school's PAD coordinator. "He was monitored by our student athletic trainers on site, who brought over an EMT. He started going into cardiac arrest and they called for the AED unit.

"By the time I got the unit to him," continues Meyer, "within 30 seconds of the call, he had no heartbeat. He was dead. So we started CPR on him right away, and defibrillated him within 60 seconds of his heart stopping. It took one shock from the unit and he had a heartbeat again."

Now, six months later, there are 14 AED units at Cortland and close to 500 people certified to use them. This includes two mobile units used by the athletic department, which were funded by the school's student activity fee, and one mobile unit used by student EMS services. Eleven others are installed around campus in wall units that automatically notify campus police, student EMS services, and the local ambulance company.

In setting up the PAD program, Meyer made AED training an integral part of the school. Cortland State's Health Department added AED training to its curriculum, the Recreation and Leisure Studies Department added AED training to its major requirements, and the Exercise Science and Sport Studies Department organized a program to train every coach, staff member, and major in athletic training, physical education, and sport management. The training (which lasts four hours) also went to residence hall directors, student activities staff, campus police, and health services personnel.

With trained personnel working around the clock, Meyer coordinates AED coverage across campus, ensuring that every team practice, game, and public event is within seconds of an AED unit and operator. Timing is key: Of the 350,000 deaths by sudden cardiac arrest that occur in the United States each year, many can be prevented if defibrillation is administered within three to five minutes. Every second counts, and with every minute saved, survival rate increases by 10 percent.

As Meyer explains it, the program is a win-win situation. Cortland's students gain valuable training and experience, with certificates that strengthen their resumes. At the same time, the college creates a safer campus for all its faculty, staff, students, and visitors.