Much of the work around issues of safety at UCG over the last months has been diffuse and evaluative. The Buildings and Grounds committee has been evaluating trip hazards in the Courtyard and air quality issues in Reimer Hall; the Board of Children, Youth, and Family included funds for updating accessible bathrooms in the education wing in their recent grant proposal.

One important need has been identified and already met, however! We have previously had one AED (automated external defibrillator) device available on our church campus for help in emergencies, stored in the church kitchen, and moved to the Sanctuary on Sunday mornings during services.

That system felt like it left us vulnerable, should anyone need the device on other parts of the campus. Critically important minutes would be spent running from one end of the campus to the other, potentially endangering someone having a cardiac event. So on the advice of the Safety and Security group (and those consulting with them), and funds from the Shelly Wilson Health Fund, two additional AED devices have been purchased. We now have one in the Sanctuary building, one in the kitchen, and one in the education wing. We pray they will be as umbrellas: now that we have enough, may we never need them at all!