Commentary; Posted: 9/4/02

AEDs can make heart-safe communities

Don Henizman

Minutes, even seconds, are critical as someone is having a cardiac arrest, when the heart is having an electrical malfunction that makes it unable to pump blood through the body.

For every minute lost, chances of the victim of a cardiac arrest surviving drop 10 percent. If an automated external defibrillator (AED) is not available to shock the heart within 10 minutes, chances of survival are 2 percent.

Defibrillation is only effective if it is applied within three to five minutes. The average response time to a cardiac arrest call in most communities is anywhere between five and seven minutes. The AED, the size of a lap top computer, analyzes the heartís rhythm and tells the user to deliver a defibrillation shock only if it is needed. They cost about $3000 each.

Since the use of the AED is so vital, leaders are trying to make their communities heart safe by placing portable, easy-to-operate defibrillators in police cars, ambulances, libraries, shopping centers, gated communities, sprawling plants, health clubs and crowded sports and entertainment places.

Heart Safe Communities is a project of Allina Hospitals and Clinics Medical Transportation. The project is funded through a grant from Medtronic, Inc. The Minnesota Heart Association like Allina works with communities to place more AEDs in strategic locations.

A leader in making its community heart-safe is Apple Valley where the police, fire and ambulance departments have taken the lead to promote the purchase and use of AEDs.

The departments with help from the Minnesota Heart Association conducted an information session for agencies and businesses about the defibrillators.

As a result AEDs are in three schools of District 196, Kohlís, Wal-Mart, Cub Foods, the American Legion Post and the senior citizen center. The senior residents collected money and donated defibrillators to the Valley View Golf and Community Center.

The Apple Valley police, fire and ambulance departments train people on how to use the AEDs. A local doctor is the medical director.

In Forest Lake, most of the city police cars are equipped with AEDs as a result of community donations and dollars budgeted by the city to fund the police department. It is a good investment.

Anoka, with assistance from the Unity Hospital Foundation, is deploying five AEDs in strategic locations.

The Elk River Fire and Ambulance Department is taking the lead to place 11 AEDs, and to collect money to pay for them.

Community leaders would be wise to make their communities heart-safe. Those interested should contact Michele Sundberg, project coordinator of the Heart Safe Community Project of Allina Hospitals and clinics by calling 952-934-1790.

The project serves 70 communities in Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Isanti, Ramsey, Rice, Scott, Sherburne and Wright counties. They also can call Beth Rabeneck, health initiatives director, at 952-278-3664.

What could be a more noble goal for each community than to make it heart-safe by deploying these AEDs in strategic public buildings, giving their residents a second chance of recovering from cardiac arrests? Isnít that what communities are for?

Top of Page