San Ramon's Gale Ranch Middle School was awarded a portable device that helps treat sudden cardiac arrest after the school won a national online video contest to raise awareness about the condition amongst kids and teens.

An automated external defibrillator (AED) is used to diagnose irregular heart rhythm and treat sudden cardiac arrest by delivering an electric shock to the heart. Gale Ranch is one of nine schools in the country to win a portable AED for their campus this year from the Parent Heart Watch (PHW) contest.

"Sudden Cardiac Arrest is the leading cause of death on school property," said Michele Snyder, executive director of PHW. The organization -- which hosts the annual contest -- is the national advocacy group dedicated to protecting youth from sudden cardiac arrest.

The video contest was open to K-12 public and private schools nationwide. Students and faculty were asked to create and upload a video that addressed their school's need for an AED, possible locations for the device and how awareness for the device would be raised at their school.

PHW hosted the contest as part of their Heart Avengers AED grant program co-sponsored by Pennsylvania-based mobile AED manufacturers HeartSine Technologies.

"In addition to advocating for heart screenings with an electrocardiogram, PHW wants to ensure that each and every school in the U.S. is equipped with a potentially life-saving AED. It's programs like Heart Avengers that enable us to educate the public in a fun way about this very serious subject matter," Snyder said.

Since the program began in 2013, more than 30 schools have been awarded with the AED packages provided by HeartSine which include; a HeartSine defibrillator, one adult Pad-Pak, a pediatric Pad-Pak, a wall case to house the AED, a three-dimensional AED wall sign, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and AED certification training and PHW educational printed materials.

Gale Ranch, one of four San Ramon public middle schools, is located at 6400 Main Branch Road.