Saving Hearts Foundation is an organization committed to preventing sudden cardiac arrest in youth through education, awareness, and action. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops due to an electrical abnormality and can often be fatal. In an event of sudden cardiac arrest, an automatic external defibrillator (AED) can be used to deliver a potentially life-saving shock to the heart in efforts to restart it. Recently, our team members came to learn that UCLA only has 63 AEDs present on its entire campus. While this may sound like a lot, a map of the AEDs on the UCLA campus demonstrates that several buildings on our campus lack an AED. We are concerned about the life-threatening implications of this lack of AEDs, as a sudden cardiac arrest victim's chance of survival decreases by 10% for every minute without medical aid. In fact, from some areas on campus, such as Powell library, the closest AED can be up to an 8 minute walk away!

We implore UCLA to install an AED in each building on campus. Our organization was founded at UCLA, making this issue deeply personal and significant to us. In sudden cardiac arrest scenarios, speedy intervention is crucial. An AED could mean the difference between life and death in such frightening situations. By equipping every UCLA building with an AED, we can potentially save lives by ensuring immediate accessibility to this vital tool during emergencies. It is our duty to protect our students, staff, and visitors' wellbeing at all costs. Please sign this petition to urge UCLA to reinforce the importance of life-saving facilities on campus.