On Tuesday, the Heart of West Georgia donated $4,000 to the Troup County Fire Department to replace non-functioning Automated External Defibrillators on the trucks.

The Heart of West Georgia is a nonprofit organization that focuses on heart education, women’s health, obesity and cardiovascular projects for the citizens of West Georgia. The group uses the funds raised by its annual golf tournament to provide grants like the one to the county, with all of the funds raised remaining in the area.

“We have put in over 170 AEDs in the county, and we had a request come in from the fire department,” Representative Colemon Cody said. “They are running short on money evidently, and the Heart of West Georgia is willing to make a grant that will pay for over half of it.”

The group asked for the county to match the grant funding so that all of the needed AEDs could be purchased, and County Commission Chairman Patrick Crews affirmed that the county would supply funding to match the grant in order to purchase the essential lifesaving equipment.

“The AEDs are a critical piece of equipment for us when we are responding to cardiac arrests,” Troup County Fire Chief Dennis Knight said.

Knight also noted that the organization has provided help throughout the county, and that the fire department was thankful for the grant. To learn more about the Heart of West Georgia visit heartofwestgeorgia.org.

The Troup County Board of Commissioners is scheduled to meet again on Tuesday, Aug. 15 at 9 a.m.