When Seconds Matter, SERC Steps Up

CEDAR SPRINGS - By the time you realize someone’s heart has stopped, the clock is already running.

In those first moments, when a teacher collapses in a hallway, when a student-athlete goes down at a game, when a neighbor slumps over at church, there isn’t time to “wait and see.” There is only time to act. And more often than not, the difference between a tragedy and a second chance comes down to two things being close at hand: a trained responder and an AED (automated external defibrillator).

That is exactly why the School Emergency Response Coalition (SERC) exists.

Based right here in Cedar Springs, SERC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit with a straightforward mission and a lifesaving impact: donate AEDs and teach CPR for free to local schools, childcare facilities, and shelters so that when the unthinkable happens, someone nearby is ready.

A hometown nonprofit with a lifesaving purpose

SERC was founded in 2015 by Kevin McGraw, who was driven by a simple belief: students and school staff can be empowered to save a life...if we give them the tools and the training.

Through SERC’s Students United Prepared Emergency Responders (SUPER) CPR & AED Training Program, students learn how to respond effectively and properly when an emergency arises. They learn CPR. They learn how to use an AED. They learn that they are not helpless in a crisis, and that they can be the reason someone goes home.

SERC’s work also brings the community together, partnering with public safety professionals: police, firefighters, and paramedics to teach these skills and help students see public service as a real, meaningful path.

To date, SERC has taught over a thousand hours of CPR, including choking and stroke recognition. Locally, SERC has placed AEDs in Cedar Springs Public Schools, Creative Technologies Academy, as well as the Cedar Springs Community Library, American Legion Glen Hill Post 287, Cedar Springs United Methodist Church, and The Village Learning Center. According to a SERC spokesperson, pending city approval, the nonprofit is eyeing a few more defibrillators for the Cedar Springs community's public spaces beginning in 2026.

“It’s not theoretical.” It’s happened more than once.

It can be easy to read about CPR and AED training and think of it as “good to have.” But for Cedar Springs’ SERC, this isn’t abstract. Because of the AED equipment they’ve donated and the CPR training they’ve taught, there have been confirmed saves, not only in West Michigan schools, but also in Grand Rapids-area shelters.

That means there are people walking around today, hugging their kids, showing up for work, and being present for the holidays because SERC’s training and equipment were in the right place at the right time, and someone had the courage and the knowledge to act.

It’s hard to put a price on a life. But it’s not hard to imagine how different those stories could have ended. Why this matters is because most cardiac arrests happen close to home. National health organizations have long stressed what emergency responders already know: cardiac arrest doesn’t wait for an ambulance. The critical window is the first few minutes. Having CPR started immediately and an AED used quickly can dramatically improve the odds of survival.

And the part that should stop all of us in our tracks: The next life saved could be yours.

100% volunteer-led. 100% donor-funded. 100% about the mission.

SERC isn’t backed by a large corporate budget. It isn’t running on paid staff. It is 100% volunteer led and 100% donor funded. Neighbors helping neighbors, and even businesses kicking in, because the need is real and the stakes are life and death.

Their impact has not gone unnoticed. In 2019, SERC was named the Wood TV8 “Connecting with the Community” award winner, and that same year was recognized by the State of Michigan for excellence in their field.

But the truth is, their most meaningful recognition isn’t a plaque or a headline. It’s a heartbeat restored. A family kept whole. A classroom that doesn’t have to live with “what if.”

How you can help

If you’ve ever wondered what kind of donation truly makes a difference: this is it. Supporting SERC means supporting local. It means supporting training that equips students and staff to respond, and AEDs that can bring someone back when every second counts.

Donate today at: www.sercmi.org

Because the next life saved might be someone you love.

And it might be the very person who donated.