Taylor Daily Press: Taylor Rotary Club donates life-saving device

Taylor Rotary Club donates life-saving device

The Taylor Rotary Club made a potentially life-saving contribution to the Murphy Park Aquatic Center recently, an automated external defibrillator (AED).

The device is used when someone is in critical condition due to heart arrhythmia, according to Javier Urias, aquatics director for the Williamson County Family YMCA. The Taylor Family YMCA manages the pool at Murphy Park and trains the lifeguards who are most likely to use the new AED.

The device automatically diagnoses an irregular heart rhythm in a patient, then discharges an electrical shock that can reset the heart to a regular beat, Urias said.

He provided a demonstration recently for the Rotary Club, which raised money throughout the year to buy the AED.

The club contributes to a number of community projects each year, promoting education as well as heath initiatives. The local club also contributes to Rotary International projects that are responsible for helping eradicate polio, providing clean drinking water in underdeveloped areas and providing disaster relief.