Lindbergh Lions donate AED outside Little Falls Library

By JEFFREY HAGE

Morrison County Record

“Where is the nearest Automated External Defibrillator?”

Lindbergh Lions member Deb Retka says that’s a question everyone should know the answer to.

If you live in Little Falls, the answer could very well be the Little Falls Carnegie Library.

The Lindbergh Lions recently donated an AED to the community that was placed on an outside wall of the library.

It’s the second AED the Lindbergh Lions have donated to the Little Falls community, Retka said.

The first AED donated by the Lindbergh Lions was at the Lindbergh Lions Recreational Complex near Lincoln Elementary School in Little Falls in 2022.

That AED is mounted near the concession stand, Retka said.

The AED recently installed outside the library, like the AED at the recreational center, is part of the Lions’ mission to help save lives.

“Hopefully it will never have to be used,” Retka said.

But it brings peace of mind to members of the community knowing that if someone is having a cardiac event, help is as close as the library- or the recreational center.

The Lions felt that the Little Falls Carnegie Library was an ideal location for its second donated AED because it is centrally located. Residents, customers of area businesses, students and staff at the schools and, of course, library patrons, have help right around the corner.

The AED at the library is very simple to use.

“When the AED is being used, it prompts you,” Retka said.

“Everyone can use it, whether you know how to use an AED or not,” she said.

The AED is in a cabinet mounted on the library wall. The cabinet is climate-controlled, meaning it is heated in the winter months and cooled in the heat of the summer in order to keep the AED operational, Retka said.

When the cabinet door is opened, an audible alarm and visual red lights are triggered.

“As soon as the door is opened, alarms sound and pictures are taken,” she said.

If the AED is removed from the cabinet, 911 is called and emergency personnel are dispatched to the AED location using GPS monitoring, she said.

Another benefit of the AED, Retka said, is the fact that its available 24 hours a day.

Many businesses and community buildings have AEDs in this day and age, they are locked up after hours, she said.

The AED was purchased by the Lindbergh Lions through Sartell-based Advocates for Health.

Advocates for Health has helped place more than 220 AEDs in about 50 communities in Central Minnesota- including Bowlus, Burtrum, Little Falls, and Royalton in the Record readership area.

In addition to the library and recreational center, an Advocates for Health AED can be found at Coborns. The others are at the Bowlus Community Center, Burtrum Community Center, Royalton Car Wash and Royalton High School.