FPS staff report
March 24, 2009
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| On hand for a distribution of AED defibrillator units last week at the Carroll County District Library were representative of three receivers. From left are Chad Conrad, executive director of the Muskingum Lakes Chapter of the American Red Cross; Dr. Jeff Cameron, chairman and founder of the Initiative Committee for the AED’s, demonstrating how one of the units work on Robert Antill, director the Carroll County District Library; Sue Henderson, director of the Senior Citizens Friendship Center, and Carrollton Village Administrator Robert Fowler, who received AED units for their respective locations. |
Over the past several months the Eastern Ohio Automated External Defibrillators (AED) Initiative in partnership with the Muskingum Lakes chapter of the American Red Cross (ARC) has been steadfast in working towards their goal of raising funds to purchase and distribute 500 AED’s throughout Carroll, Tuscarawas and Harrison counties over the next five years.
An AED is a device that analyzes the heart’s electrical rhythm and if necessary, prompts the rescuer to deliver a shock to the person experiencing sudden cardiac arrest.
Dr. Jeff Cameron states the AED’s will be placed in law enforcement and fire department vehicles and at non-profit community buildings such as churches, senior centers and libraries.
The first distribution of the new units in Carroll County was made last week by Chad Conrad, executive director of the Muskingum Lakes chapter of the ARC, and Dr. Cameron, chairman of the AED Initiative, who brought five units to the Carroll County District Library for distribution to the library, Friendship Center and Carrollton’s Municipal building.
According to Conrad, 11 units have been distributed in Carroll County. They include one each for the Carroll County Courthouse, Carroll Healthcare Center, Carroll County Health Department, Carrollton Safety building, Carroll County District Library, Village of Carrollton Municipal building, Carroll County Friendship Center and Carroll County Airport.
Two units have be placed at the Carrollton Police Department and four units at the Carroll County sheriff’s department. More units will be distributed, as funds are available, Conrad said.
“The Initiative, only existing for a short time thus far, is about to leave a lasting mark on several area communities by providing 34 organizations with over 60 Zoll AED Plus defibrillators,” Dr. Cameron said.
“The Initiatives medical committee chose the Zoll AED Plus because it guides the rescuer through the entire process and provides the immediate feedback on their CPR performance, a very important part of the rescue,” he noted.
“The generous support from many local businesses, organizations, foundations and individuals has enabled the Initiative to get one step closer to reaching our goal of saving a heart, saving a life. For their support we are extremely grateful,” Dr. Cameron added.
As part of the distribution of the AED’s, the Red Cross will be providing CPR and AED trainings.
The first set of AED awardees was announced at the Initiative’s first fundraiser, A Night in New Orleans, held recently at the Union Country Club in Dover.
“The event was a great success and we would not have been able to do it without the overwhelming support by so many people in the area, especially our host sponsor Smith Ambulance,” Cameron said.
“The Initiative is so excited to have been able to get such a large number of AED’s in the hands of our community so quickly. We would like to see these be as common as fire extinguishers are in buildings today,” said Red Cross Executive Director Chad Conrad.
“Within the tri-county area there are an estimated 236 sudden cardiac arrests annually. The national survival rate is 5 percent. By making sure that AEDs are strategically placed in non-profit buildings, such as churches, senior centers and libraries, and in law enforcement vehicles, it is the Initiative’s goal to increase the survival rate to 25 percent, or save the lives of 47 more people,” Conrad added.
Applications and more information concerning the Initiative are available by contacting Conrad at 330-343-8633, visiting the website at www.mlcredcross.org or emailing at info@mlcredcross.org. |
