New AED placed at Renziehausen Park
The life-saving device is a gift from Bazylak Memorial Fund and the Aliver Foundation.
A new AED provided by the Marsha Bazylak Memorial Fund and the Aliver Foundation was unveiled Sunday at McKeesport’s Renziehausen Park.
First responders, city officials, and representatives from the Aliver Foundation and the Marsha Bazylak Memorial Fund gathered at Renzie Park’s Senior Center to highlight the importance of AEDs and CPR.
Jill Pall, founder and president of the Aliver Foundation, said the organization worked to get eight total all weather, climate controlled outdoor enclosures protecting AEDs in greater Pittsburgh area parks, all of which were celebrated through events this weekend.
The Aliver Foundation works to put AEDs in recreation areas like Renzie Park. Pall was inspired to create the nonprofit after she survived her cardiac arrest.
“It was at Echo Lake dog park (New Jersey), and there was no AED in the park,” Pall said. “My friend did CPR for almost 15 minutes until the paramedics got there with an AED — 15 minutes. We know that every minute without defibrillation, without an AED, can bring that life expectancy down by 10%. I should not be standing here.”
After her cardiac arrest, Pall has worked with over two dozen municipalities and counties to install AEDs in their recreational spaces. In 2024, the year Aliver was founded, it helped install 100 all-weather, climate-controlled, tamper-proof AEDs in multiple parks.
According to Aliver, each year, nearly 360,000 people in the United States will experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and fewer than 10% will survive. The best outcomes occur when CPR is started immediately and an AED is used within the first few minutes.
City Administrator Tom Maglicco thanked Aliver and the Marsha Bazylak Memorial Fund for bringing the AED to Renziehausen Park.
“What an honor it is to have this AED here,” Maglicco said. “We know how important this is to our livelihood. Science is important, and this is why we’re living longer. And it’s devices like this that can help save lives. This is an over 200acre park, and you name it, we’re doing it in Renzie Park, from Little League to tennis.”
The Bazylak Memorial Fund helped underwrite the lifesaving equipment bundle in Renzie Park as well as five other recreation spaces in the greater Pittsburgh area.
“Our local park (Renziehausen) is filled with family memories of polka dances, fireworks, the International Village and the rose garden that our Dziadzio helped plant and maintain,” said Patty Weale, Bazylak’s daughter.
Charisse Richards and Roy Conrad with McKeesport EMS gave a demonstration on how to use an AED on an adult and a child. They also gave people an opportunity to try CPR compressions on their manikins.
Richards, Conrad and Pall emphasized that in the scenario that someone has to use an AED, all they have to do is follow the voice prompts provided by the device. It’s important to call 911 before doing anything with someone who’s in need of help.
Here are some outlined steps:
• Place the person down on a flat surface.
• Remove all clothing covering the chest. If necessary, wipe the chest dry.
• Place one AED pad on the upper right side of the chest • Place the other pad on the lower left side of the chest, a few inches below the left armpit.
• If necessary, plug the pad connector cable into the AED.
• Prepare to let the AED analyze the heart’s rhythm, and make sure no one is touching the person.
• Deliver the shock if the AED determines it is needed. Once again, make sure no one is touching the person, and then touch the button to administer the shock.
• After the AED delivers the shock, or if no shock is advised, immediately start CPR, beginning with compressions.
The American Red Cross provides information on AEDs and CPR, which can be found at www.redcross. org/take-a-class/aed/using-an-aed/ aed-steps?srsltid=AfmBOooCYovHzEfv2wtuLXMAtPIX9A0tyU- 6WmHtWgeE1E2ok_qxJXTOr.
The Aliver Foundation also has various online resources that can be found at www.thealiverfoundation. org.
