Thanks to a donation from the Fitz-Gerald Clinic, students and their parents have the ability to feel safer with a donated automated external defibrillator (AED) on site at the New Era Building career tech center on Feb. 2

“We started as a temporary career tech center four years ago has grown each year,” said Demopolis City Schools System Superintendent Kyle Kallhoff. “We circulate quite a few students through the New Era building every day and have plans on expanding out programs in the future. Through this partnership with the Fitz-Gerald Clinic, we are able to keep student safety on the forefront of what we do.”

With the building serving between 100 to 150 students a year, the building needed the AED in case an emergency situation arose.

“They called us up and said they needed and Demopolis has been very good to us,” said Mack Fitz-Gerald, office manager of the clinic. “We want to support the community, because the community has supported us. It’s just something we’re happy to do.”

Brandy Daniels, who serves as the nurse for the system, was more than thrilled to have the donation.

“We were being charged an arm and a leg for an AED and we are so glad that the Fitz-Gerald Clinic stepped up and helped us in a pinch,” said Daniels. “We really needed an AED over at the career tech center and even considered taking the one from the central office.”

Though the machines can be expensive, the clinic is more concerned about the service provided as opposed to money lost.

“It’s not a value issue about cost, it’s about what we can do to help the school and city,” said Fitz-Gerald.

The donation of the AED was the first-time Fitz-Gerald stepped foot inside the facility to see the service being provided by DCSS.

“I’ve never been here and never knew it existed, but I’m glad the city has this for students so when they graduate from high school they can have a trade. College isn’t for everybody,” said Fitz-Gerald.