AED in the Heart of Our Community
By Sandy Balayan
November 2025
The Knox Trail Inn (KTI) has become somewhat of a community center for Otis. It provides steady and reliable service to all of us, whether it is for a hot meal, a drink or some wonderful games and entertainment. Recently, owner Brooke Tame was approached by Tom Soules who made the suggestion that his AMVETS chapter would provide an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) for the Knox. A new member of the AMVETS, Joe Coach, suggested at a meeting that they should consider placing an AED at the KTI as it is a very popular destination for many people and is open many hours. They were off and running. Brooke’s dad, Mike, got involved and he said he’d be glad to help install it on a wall in the vestibule of the restaurant where it now proudly sits.
An AED is a medical device that uses an electric shock to correct an abnormal heart rhythm. It is portable and can treat sudden cardiac arrest. With every minute of delay waiting for medical help to arrive, the chance of survival decreases by 7-10%. Quick reaction and then action can be the key to saving someone’s life. Used within three minutes of cardiac arrest, it can raise the survival rate 74%. The AED has visual and audio instructions and it is the deciding factor ultimately if a shock will be used. The person using the AED does not make life decisions, the AED does. To use one call 911 first, then follow the AED instructions and get CPR started. Quick action can save a life.
AED at the Knox Trail Inn. Photo: Sandy Balayan
People might feel hesitant to use the AED, but it is self-explanatory. Lack of knowledge or unwillingness to use it is definitely an acknowledged part of this moral dilemma of whether or not you should get involved. But you have a really good chance of saving someone if you act quickly. So think now before it ever comes up if you would be willing to use an AED. For those who worry that they will be sued if the person doesn’t survive, there is a law called the Good Samaritan Law that protects the public as long as the help was given in good faith and was not negligent or reckless. We all must just do our best.
Your actions when seeing someone who is unconscious and breathing very shallowly or not at all may make all the difference in their world. The American Heart Association estimates there are about 350,000 cardiac arrests a year and two-thirds of them are usually outside the home. If AED devices are strategically placed in hospitals, schools, malls, libraries, airports, etc. think of all the lives that could be saved.
A former EMT and veteran, Joe Coach was a medivac helicopter and fire department EMT. “I am proud of joining the AMVETS and getting involved with like-minded people who want to work to improve their community. After researching units, I ordered one for the KTI. It is important that the Otis community is aware of this AED’s location. If you are in the vicinity of East Otis and someone has sudden cardiac arrest, you have a place to stop,” says Joe. “The KTI is always happy to be the center of any community efforts that aid the town, and we are proud to provide a life saving device right here,” says Mike Tame, owner Brooke’s dad.
Mike himself has used an AED twice in his life, one person survived and one didn’t, but he made every effort in both cases. Joe had lost his father and grandfather from cardiac arrest so he has personal as well as professional reasons to ensure the Otis community is aware of the AED device and to think about how they would react in an emergency situation. The rural nature of Otis and distance from a hospital is further reason that this device could be a true lifesaver. “Remember, you can’t cause harm with the AED. It makes the medical decisions. But you can cause harm by waiting to help the person who is in arrest. Ask yourself if you did everything you could and do your best. The feeling afterward is amazing when you hear that heartbeat once again,” says Joe.
Be strong. Act quickly. Don’t hesitate. If someone is unconscious, not breathing, and has no pulse, call 911. Take the AED off the wall and follow the instructions. You might just be saving the life of a neighbor or friend, or the life of a stranger who has a family whom they surely want to see again. Thank you AMVETS for providing this state-of-the-art AED and for allowing us to publicize it here.
