Help Get AEDs in all Montana’s Libraries
Thankfully, heart attacks* are rare, but they do happen, and immediate access to an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) is key to ensuring a victim’s survival. Every minute that elapses between a heart attack and defibrillation lowers the person’s chance of survival by 10%. An AED on-site, coupled with trained personnel, can make the difference between life and death.
*More precisely, a ventricular fibrillation (VF) or pulseless ventricular tachycardia
Why libraries?
Most Montana public and tribal college libraries have an AED, but thirty-six do not. Of the public and tribal college libraries lacking an AED, twenty-eight have asked The Trust for Montana Libraries, partnering with the American Red Cross, to help them obtain, install, and learn how to use an AED. Upon project completion, an AED will be in every Montana the public and tribal college library who wants one. The total project cost is $56,952. Montana libraries are heavily used by library users ranging in age from infants to the elderly.
During fiscal year 2023 the residents within these 28 libraries’ service areas amounted to over 38% of Montana’s population, and they recorded well in excess of 1 million visits. 438,889 Montanans live within these libraries’ service areas; in 2023 they made 1,038,334 visits.
This Program
Each participating public or tribal college library will receive an AED, to be mounted in a highly visible, public part of their library so the AED will be immediately at hand if needed. AEDs are easy to use, even for those without medical training—the device itself provides clear, step-by- step instructions to guide the rescuer. Given the age range of library users, we will provide AEDs that easily switch between child and adult modes.
Training will be provided for library staff and volunteers. While AEDs guide rescuers through the process, in the event of an emergency, everyone will feel better if person using the AED has received training. Training will consist of the Red Cross’s ‘Until Help Arrives’ course, to be held online, and will include instruction in the use of AEDs and stopping life-threatening bleeding.
Finally, at the advice of our partners, included with each AED will be a Stop-the-Bleed kit. This simple addition will go a long way into making libraries an even safer, more resilient shared public spaces.
Key Partners
The Red Cross is a natural partner for the Trust for Montana Libraries. Montana’s public and tribal college libraries are busy community hubs, and having an AED available aligns with the Red Cross’s goals of enhancing public safety, preventing and alleviating human suffering in emergencies. Similarly, increasing public safety in libraries fits superbly with The Trust’s mission of supporting and improving all Montana’s public and tribal college libraries.
The Trust and the Reds Cross see this as an opportunity to build on our shared commitment to training and community life long learning, adding AED, CPR, and first aid training in conjunction with libraries adding an AED to their buildings.
The Trust has also partnered with the State of Montana’s Department of Health and Human Services’ EMS, Trauma, and Injury Prevention Systems office. Grant requirements will follow their Community AED guidelines, which serve as a best-practices checklist, for example, AEDs will be registered and integrated into Montana’s 9-1-1 services.
Your Gift Will Make Montana Libraries Safer Places
The cost to purchase, install, and train each library is $2,034, a total of $56,952 for all 28 libraries. For purposes of full transparency, this figure includes a 10% indirect cost rate to address administrative costs incurred by the Trust.
$2,034 covers the cost of one AED, Stop-the-Bleed Kit, Cabinet, and its installation in a Montana library
$10,170 funds the purchase, installation and training for staff and volunteers at five libraries
$28,476 supports purchase, installation and training in 14 libraries, half of those participating in this project
Any contribution will make a significant difference. Together, we can ensure that Montana’s libraries are not only places of learning and community but also places of safety and preparedness. The Trust for Montana Libraries is an IRS 501(c)3 organization, and registered in Montana as a Non-profit Corporation.
By contributing to this initiative, you are not just purchasing a piece of equipment or funding a training program, you are contributing to safer more resilient communities. You are giving parents, grandparents, children, and neighbors the chance to survive a sudden cardiac arrest to go home to their families, and to continue living their lives.
Thank you for considering this opportunity to make a difference for Montana’s libraries and all Montanans.
