By Laura Seyfang GUEST COLUMNIST
When someone’s heart suddenly stops, every second counts. In those moments, an automated external defibrillator, or AED, can mean the difference between life and death. These small, portable devices are designed to restart a heart that’s gone into cardiac arrest, and they’re simpler to use than most people realize.
An AED works by delivering an electric shock that helps the heart regain its normal rhythm. Once it’s turned on, the device literally talks you through each step—from placing the pads to pressing the shock button if needed. Most models even analyze the heart’s rhythm automatically and only allow a shock when it’s truly necessary. In other words, you can’t hurt someone by trying to help.
In Big Sky there are 37 AEDs scattered between the resorts, schools, BASE and restaurants. Check out the PulsePoint mobile app to see all the locations. Most are marked by a red heart symbol with a lightning bolt. They’re there for you, the bystander, who can take action before emergency responders arrive. With easy voice instructions and diagrams, anyone—even someone who’s never seen an AED before—can use one with confidence.
Imagine being the reason someone’s parent, friend or teammate gets a second chance at life. That’s the power of an AED. It’s not just a machine; it’s hope packed into a small plastic case, waiting for someone brave enough to step forward and press “on.”
Combined with hands-only CPR, you can save the life of someone experiencing a cardiac event. Hands-on or citizen CPR can be learned in just a few minutes. It involves manually compressing the heart of an unconscious, non-breathing person by pushing hard and fast on the center of a person’s chest.
- Read the Health Buzz column, “Why everyone should learn CPR,” and learn how Explore Big Sky’s publisher, Outlaw Partners, took steps to educate staff members in 2025.
So next time you spot an AED, take note of where it is. You might never need it—but if you do, you’ll be ready to save a life.
Want to be trained in Hands-Only CPR? Contact Big Sky Fire Department firefighter Mike Ketschek via email, mketschek@bigskyfire.org, to get started.
Laura Seyfang is an active community volunteer and officer of the Big Sky Rotary Club, which funds many local AEDs and other safety initiatives like the Gallatin Canyon 911 call boxes.
