Last year, students initiated a plan to put Automated External Defibrillators in every building on the Winona State University campus. As of last week, the plan has come to fruition.
Thirty AED’s were installed under the supervision of Don Walski, director of campus security at Winona State.
The goal is to keep all students informed and trained on how to handle emergency situations.
“This, to me, is a real blessing,” said Stephen Baumgart, a security guard on Winona State’s campus. “Time is of the essence in emergency situations.”
Baumgart worked for the Chicago fire department for eight years and worked for the sheriff’s department three years ago.
According to him, a plan for more campus AED’s was already in the works when he was hired after retirement.
Each AED kit contains a pocket mask, scissors, alcohol wipes and the actual AED.
The way an AED works is by sensing if a heart is beating. It gives audible instructions to the user, so it is very simple to learn.
The outside box is alarmed to prevent theft, as the boxes are not locked.
Placement of the AED’s was well thought out for visibility and accessibility, according to Walski.
Security has received a good response from administration, and Baumgart says that the greatest benefit is knowing what to do in an inevitable situation.
There will soon be a map online featuring the locations of each AED. A hard copy of the map can be found in Walski’s office, located on the first floor of Sheehan Hall.
The installation cost $60,000 of university money, and the university, with the help of Baumgart and assistant football coach and first aid professor Bruce Carpenter, is training every hall director and resident assistant to use the machines.
They also held training sessions for the entire campus last week, and will hold more beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday in Dining Rooms C and D of Kryzsko Commons.
In conjunction with the AED training sessions, which last about 30 minutes, there is a CPR training class, which lasts about 3 hours.
Two AEDs are to be installed at the Rochester, Minn., campus and a training session will be held on the Winona campus every month and a half, starting next year.
To arrange for a training session, contact security with a group of five to eight people who will attend.

Contact Sarah at SCBurgen5575@winona.edu