Former resident and 2021 Falls City High School graduate Brenna Leyden is on a mission to make Falls City, in particular the Fiedler Family Ball Complex, a safer place for everyone.
Leyden, a recent graduate from Bryan College of Health Sciences, currently works in the Trauma ICU at Bryan West and has served as an EMT with the Hickman Rural Fire Department for the past four years.
The former Tiger was inspired to assist her former community after helping organize a fundraiser in Hickman to install an outdoor AED (Automated External Defibrillator) at the ballfields.
“The success of that project inspired me to give back to my hometown in a similar way,” said Leyden.
Leyden intends to raise funds to install a 24/7 outdoor AED at the complex in Falls City, noting that the current device, located inside the concession stand at the ballpark, is not accessible when the building is closed.
The objective will be to install a climate-controlled outdoor cabinet to house the AED in a centrally located area within the complex. The enclosure protects the apparatus from direct sunlight. It has a heater installed to prolong the life of the batteries and to ensure the pads and medication remain at a safe operating temperature.
The project will not only benefit the citizens of Falls City, but anyone who visits the ballfields and parks for games, tournaments or leisure.
The goal of the campaign will be to raise $2,500 for the installation. When tragic circumstances present themselves, every minute can make the difference between life and death. In this example, survival rates can exceed 70 percent if an AED is used within the first three to five minutes of a cardiac event. In contrast, every minute that passes without a defibrillator, the chance of survival drops by ten percent.
The design of the AED system in question is designed for year-round storage, whether it be the extreme heat in the summer or the bitter cold of Midwest winters.
According to Leyden, the AED is relatively easy to use, even providing voice-guided steps for CPR and the use of the machine. The unit can be accessed by calling 911 and receiving a three-digit code to open the storage container.
“The AED would serve the entire community, including spectators and athletes at rec ball games, school games, practices, the splash pad and the playground,” said Leyden. “It is a life-saving tool that would help us be proactive, prepared and equipped to protect our neighbors, friends and families.”
The unit will be supplied by the Aliver Foundation, whose primary focus is to increase the number of all-weather, climate-controlled AEDs that are in outdoor recreation spaces.
According to F&M Bank President Derrek Leyden, funding to purchase the first device for Dallas Jones Park has already been reached thanks to donations from F&M, Frontier and First Interstate Banks in Falls City. However, the banks have issued a challenge to the community to raise the funds for a second AED to be installed at Grandview Park, with the possibility of one at all the parks in town if funding can be achieved. According to Leyden, “If we could cover the four major parks in Falls City, it would be huge for the community.”
He stressed the importance of the community’s contribution to the project, saying he hopes they are never needed, but if they are, they will be worth every cent.
Donations can be mailed or dropped off at the Falls City Chamber Office at 1705 Stone Street in Falls City. All checks can be made payable to Main Street Falls City, INC.
