(RALEIGH) -- Minutes count when someone suffers sudden cardiac arrest, but a life-saving piece of equipment can improve the chance of survival by 74 percent. Now, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina is distributing some special devices to organizations across North Carolina.

"And we're doing that my awarding North Carolina organizations with automated external defibrillators.  They're commonly known as AED's and supplementing that with CPR training," said BCBSNC CEO Brad Wilson

He said they are working with churches and the American Red Cross to give out 150 AED's. BCBSNC will spend $390,000 over three years on the program.