University officials recall life-saving use of defibrillator

Listen to Rec Center Associate Director Gary Parr and DPS Segeant Allen Cozart recall a time when an automated external defibrillator saved a man's life on campus. After professor Matthew Hilton-Watson collapsed and died while teaching a class March 16, a popular topic for discussion has been emergency protocol on campus. The University of Michigan-Flint has nine AEDs positioned around campus, and there are several departments on campus that require training on how to use them. Though, according to Cozart, the defibrillators have only been used "five or six times" in their 11- to 12-year history at UM-Flint and only once successfully, the units were "worth every penny" when the saw the man whose life was saved a few weeks later, back working out at the Rec Center. According to Parr, the man came in with his wife after quintuple bypass surgery to thank him, and "had we not had the AED in close proximity, say if Safety had to bring one over from (UPAV), we probably would have been having a funeral instead of a hug and a thank you.” Parr is the first speaker on the clip, followed by Cozart.