This week, New York Times writer Jane E. Brody shared the story of a man who suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. While 90 percent of people who experience this same event either pass away or live with severe heart and brain damage, Jeffrey Feig’s experience was different. Why? Because others around him had been trained in CPR and the use of an automated external defibrillator, or A.E.D.

According to the New York Times, “The life of a person with cardiac arrest often depends on having an A.E.D. nearby and someone who knows where it is and how to use it. You may have seen one in an airport or stadium; they should also be in schools, theaters, convention centers, houses of worship… — everywhere that large groups gather. There are both fully automatic and semiautomatic versions ranging in price from $1,200 to $2,500. If a facility can afford a computer, it can probably afford an A.E.D.”

Whether or not your congregation invests in an A.E.D., you should have key staff and volunteers trained in CPR and basic emergency management.