Pastor James Bethany of Richland Baptist Church, along with Supervisor Gary Snellings and Jim Bachand.

Yesterday, the Fredericksburg Chapter of the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association presented an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) to the Richland Baptist Church in Hartwood.
Jim Bachand, chairman of the local chapter, made the presentation to Pastor James Bethany in recognition of the annual CPR/AED week.
SCA is the nation’s leading cause of death, killing nearly 300,000 Americans each year. It is an electrical disruption of the heart’s natural rhythm and is not the same as a heart attack. Advances in medical technology and treatment could eliminate at least 40 percent of sudden cardiac arrest deaths, yet the survival rate is still five percent. 
Jim Soderberg and Bachand, who survived sudden cardiac arrest, shared their emotional experiences with the congregation. Gary Snellings, who represents the Hartwood District on the Stafford County Board of Supervisors, also attended.