Heartland helps equip deputies with defibrillators
Donation means nearly all squad cars now have AEDs
Monday, January 21, 2008 11:56 AM CST
Sheriff Terry Marketti stands with Julie Benson, left, nurse practitioner, and Stephanie de la Hera, registered nurse with Heartland Cardiovascular, behind some of the 10 automatic external defibrillators donated to the sheriff’s department. (Photo provided) |
A large area cardiology practice has donated 10 automatic external defibrillators (AEDs) to the Grundy County Sheriff's Department.
Heartland Cardiovascular Center is a 19-doctor cardiology practice with offices in Morris, Joliet, New Lenox and Ottawa.
“It has been my goal since becoming sheriff to obtain AEDs for every patrol car,” Sheriff Terry Marketti said.
“Over the past three years, we have obtained several AEDs with the help of a number of organizations and private citizens. With this donation, nearly every patrol car will be equipped with a very necessary piece of life-saving equipment.”
AEDs shock the heart back into regular rhythm, preventing death from sudden cardiac arrest.
According to Heartland, sudden cardiac arrest claims more than 325,000 lives a year in the United States. During sudden cardiac arrest, the heart stops pumping abruptly and without warning, and blood does not reach vital organs.
Ventricular fibrillation is the most common cause of sudden cardiac arrest. The only treatment is shocking the heart back into regular rhythm, a process known as defibrillation.
Defibrillation, according to Heartland, must be done quickly to restore proper electrical activity to the heart. For every minute defibrillation is delayed, the victim's chance of survival is reduced by 10 percent.
Therefore, AEDs must be readily available to use on sudden cardiac arrest victims.
In rural areas, it can take an ambulance several minutes to reach the victim, which can be too long.
According to Heartland, the largely preventable death toll from sudden cardiac arrest has promoted a national movement to place AEDs in all public safety vehicles and public buildings.
However, currently, the AEDs cost about $2,000 each.
Since law enforcement officers are often first on the scene of an accident or 911 call, having AEDs in the squad cars allows them to provide prompt defibrillation to victims.
Heartland is donating 10 AEDs to the sheriff's department in a effort to assist first responders in saving the lives of victims of sudden cardiac arrest.
Sheriff Marketti said there are also AEDs in the courthouse and jail.
“The residents of our county and the thousands of people that pass through our county can now be given the best chance possible of surviving sudden cardiac arrest if our deputies arrive on the scene before EMS can get there,” Marketti said.
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