FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Chris Hansen, Lee
County Emergency Medical Services (EMS),
or Capt. Dave Wheaton, (941) 335-1600
LEE COUNTY TO TRAIN FIRST EMPLOYEES ON USE OF AUTOMATED EXTERNAL DEFIBRILLATORS
FORT MYERS, Fla. (November 28, 2000) – After deciding earlier this month to purchase 50 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for use in public facilities, Lee County is beginning to train employees on the use of the devices.
Automated External Defibrillators are easy-to-use heart defibrillation machines that can save thousands of lives each year. The AEDs now on the market are safe and easy to use, making it possible for non-medical personnel to be trained to provide rapid defibrillation. During cardiac arrest, for every minute defibrillation is delayed, the victim’s chances of survival go down 7-10 percent.
Eight lifeguards from North Fort Myers Community Pool will be the first employees to receive training. The four-hour class is Thursday (Nov. 30) from 8 a.m. to noon at Terry Park (Extension Services Building), 3410 Palm Beach Boulevard. The instructors will be Capt. Art Garcia and Lt. Scott Tuttle with Lee County Emergency Medical Services (EMS).
The media is invited to show up for photo opportunities and/or stories. Employees will get training on the machines anywhere from 10 a.m. to noon.
The Board of Lee County Commissioners approved $97,640 Nov. 7 for the purchase of 50 AEDs, of which $73,230 is from a state grant. Lee County EMS applied for the grant in February.
The AEDs should be purchased within the next couple months and will start showing up in public facilities by January 2001. The types of facilities where the AEDs will be placed include local city halls, professional baseball parks (Hammond Stadium and City of Palms Park), the Edison-Ford Estates, Harborside Convention Hall, and various community centers, to name a few. Lee County EMS plans to place the AEDs in at least 33 government operated facilities throughout Lee County and its cities and train 264 employees (eight at each facility) in their use.
The American Heart Association recommends that any facility in which large groups of people congregate consider establishing a defibrillation program. This is especially true in high-security companies, high-rise buildings, gated communities, sprawling manufacturing plants and remote sites. It is estimated that establishing these defibrillation programs could help save as many as 50,000 lives each year.