The University has literally taken a safety recommendation to heart.
Penn has placed 56 automated external defibrillators across campus since February on the advice of the Division of Public Safety. The AED machines give an electric shock to patients suffering from cardiac arrest or disturbance. It is estimated that every minute the heart is not beating, the odds of survival are lowered nearly 10 percent, public-safety officials said.
Machines cost about $2,700 each and are paid for by Penn's individual schools.
In addition to buying the AED machines, the schools must maintain a site coordinator. A minimum of 10 staff members per school were trained to use the AEDs.
The drive to place more AED machines throughout the university was triggered last year after a 28-year-old male unaffiliated with the University died of cardiac arrest during a performance at the ARCH building.
At the time, there were only 25 machines on campus, located within the Athletic Departments, Dental School and several research buildings.
But the work is not yet complete. DPS is working with the Medicine and Veterinary Medicine schools to increase the number of available AEDs by 10 additional units.
The machines are purchased through Cardiac Science Inc., a provider of cardiology products and services.
- Shruti Dave
