The recent sudden death of Chinese-Canadian actor and model Godfrey Tsao has raised wider awareness of the importance of having AEDs (automated external defibrillators) available in public spaces. 

Tsao died of cardiac arrest after he collapsed while filming a TV reality show in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province, on Nov 27. Many on the internet blamed his death on the fact that Tsao did not receive immediate first aid treatment after collapsing.

AEDs are portable electronic devices that can provide immediate first aid care for life-threatening cardiac complications before professional medical practitioners arrive on the scene. They are designed to be used by non-medical professionals for emergency treatment.

To date, nine residential areas in Haimen, a county-level city in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, have been equipped with AED devices.

The devices were purchased and installed by Zhongnan Group to serve the company's residential areas.

The city's Red Cross Society has also offered free AED and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) training in schools, communities, companies, and government departments.

According to Jiang Zhouyin, a Red Cross worker, the society has trained 3,732 people this year.

Jiang said that people can also follow the official WeChat account of the local Red Cross Society to learn about first aid skills.