A network of defibrillators -- devices that restore regular heart rhythm to victims of cardiac arrest -- will soon be installed at police cars, parks, community centers, and other public facilities throughout Palo Alto.
The City Council voted unanimously Monday night to buy 37 automatic external defibrillators (AEDs), portable devices that detect irregular heart rhythm and, through a shock, restore normal rhythm to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. The purchase of these devices, which will cost the city about $92,500, sailed through as part of the council's vote to amend its budget for fiscal year 2013.
The council's Finance Committee had previously recommended buying the defibrillators after encouragement by residents from the nonprofit group Racing Hearts, which has been donating defibrillators to racing events throughout the Bay Area and raising awareness about sudden cardiac arrest. Stephanie Martinson, founder of Racing Hearts who has undergone eight surgeries for a hereditary heart disease, said the move to install defibrillators throughout Palo Alto will "raise the standard of care for the entire community."
"The use of AEDs is critical during a chain of survival during a sudden cardiac arrest because a sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, any time," Martinson said.
She noted that the Palo Alto school district is also planning to install defibrillators at all local schools by June 2014.
According to the group, about 300,000 Americans, including 15,000 children, die of sudden cardiac arrest every year. Every minute of delay decreases the victim's chance of survival by 7 to 10 percent.
The city's plan is to install 27 defibrillators in eight police vehicles and 19 prominent city locations, including City Hall (which will get three devices), all local libraries, Cubberley Community Center, the Lucie Stern Community Center, the Baylands Interpretive Center and the Palo Alto Municipal Golf Course. Another 10 would then be added at other sites, including the Junior Museum and Zoo, Foothills Park and the Municipal Services Center.
Councilman Pat Burt, a member of the Finance Committee, said city staff had initially proposed buying the devices exclusively for the police vehicles. The committee, he said, then considered ways to go beyond this proposal and to make the purchase sooner rather than later.
"I think it's great that we're going do it this year rather than having to spread it out over several years," Burt said.
Councilwoman Liz Kniss agreed and said she was happy to support the community's call for defibrillators.
"I totally support doing this and I want the public to know that we've heard them. We're going to do it," Kniss said. "I think it's a wonderful direction to head in and I hope we'll disseminate them widely."
Comments
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2013 at 4:42 am
on Apr 16, 2013 at 4:42 am
What a waste of money. There has been no evidence that people are dying in great numbers because cardiac arrest that has not been attended to by Emergency Response.
While having these devices in Police vehicles is not a bad idea, there has been no evidence that Palo Altans have died in great numbers because of a failure of First Response to arrive quickly enough to save them.
In fact, there is virtually no data in the public domain that deals with how many people are dead by the time First Responders arrive on the scene vs the number after the arrival of First Response and transport to the nearest hospital.
There is a certain amount of training that is needed to use a defibrillators, and they need to be checked periodically for servicability. It would not be a surprise to find that within a short period after these devices are installed, that a good percentage of the devices will be unservicable.
The propensity to waste time and money in this town is unending.
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:10 am
on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:10 am
Great news! Last month, I posted the attached on the old thread asking about the status of putting AEDs in our schools. My sister's family is shocked that we don't have even one of these available, where they have had them deployed at all their school sites for years. The athletic trainers are required to carry them with their gear when they are covering any athletic events. These machines DO help to save lives!
>>Posted by parent, a resident of the Old Palo Alto neighborhood, on Mar 15, 2013 at 2:49 pm
What is the status of this program for PAUSD?
My brother-in-law is an athletic trainer at a big high school on the east coast. Just this last week, he was called to a PE class where a student had collapsed and had no heartbeat. With CPR and an AED, he was able to resuscitate the student after an excruciating amount of time. It took another 30 minutes after the medical team arrived to get him stable enough just for transport back to the Children's Hospital. (The student is now stable and undergoing care.)
We really should have these sprinkled around the middle/high school campuses. Our campuses are so broken up and sprawling that getting care when and where it's needed is not trivial.
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:45 am
on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:45 am
Installing defibrillators is a great idea. That statistic about every minute of delay decreasing the victim's chance of survival by 7 to 10 percent is sobering -- how long will it take a paramedic to arrive and start care? But, many people are afraid to use them, or they wait until someone trained in their use can be found. The defibrillators are automatic, so all that's needed is to get the public to use them. Put a large poster next to each defibrillator to encourage people to just use the machines. A defibrillator that isn't used is worthless.
Old Palo Alto
on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:49 am
on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:49 am
It's about time! Thank you Racing Hearts for taking this on!
@Another Waste of Money: The national survival rate for out of hospital cardiac arrests is 6%. I know this because my husband was one of the lucky ones. He suffered a cardiac arrest while sitting at his desk. His place of employment did not have AED's because they were afraid of the "liability". Luckily co-workers provided CPR until the EMTs arrived and shocked his heart twice with the AED to get it going again. Needless to say, my husband's employer has now installed AEDs and provided CPR and AED training to all of its employees and their family members who want it. The AEDs are simple to use and virtually idiot-proof.
While Palo Altans may not have been dying "in great numbers" as a result of lack of access to an AED, I know that saving ONE life is worth it.
Charleston Meadows
on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:51 am
on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:51 am
Racing Hearts is doing great work in Advocating for defibrillators in public places. The one life that is saved may just be a statistic until it is your child or your spouse. This is important work and money well spent. A little awareness is going a long way.
I hope others will join Racing Hearts and work towards greater placement of defibrillators. A very efficient and worthwhile mission.
Timothy Gray
another community
on Apr 16, 2013 at 11:16 am
on Apr 16, 2013 at 11:16 am
I had noticed the defibrillator at my gym for years because it was right by the water fountain. I asked the front desk one day if it had ever been used? The answer was no. Well that day came and I'm happy to say with CPR and the AED, that person is alive and doing well.
Green Acres
on Apr 16, 2013 at 11:52 am
on Apr 16, 2013 at 11:52 am
I have a home model HEART START given to me by one of my children.
The only maintenance is the battery replacement about every three- five years.
It is easy to use: just pull the handle and it gives audio einstructions. Not complicated at all.
One saved life is worth
at least $97,000.
Leland Manor/Garland Drive
on Apr 16, 2013 at 12:56 pm
on Apr 16, 2013 at 12:56 pm
Seems like a small price to pay if you are the one who needs and might benefit from it.
Web Link
Summary:
Survival rates for individuals with ventricular fibrillation treated by AEDs have been reported between 0% and 31%. Comparatively, the survival rates for performing basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) alone are reported between 0% and 6%. Theoretically, even more lives could be saved if targeted members of the general public could obtain early access to and have training in the use of AEDs and CPR. Unfortunately, only about 10-15% of cardiac arrests occur in a public place and even fewer are witnessed.[2]
2. Weisfeldt ML, Sitlani CM, Ornato JP, Rea T, Aufderheide TP, Davis D, et al. Survival after application of automatic external defibrillators before arrival of the emergency medical system: evaluation in the resuscitation outcomes consortium population of 21 million. J Am Coll Cardiol. Apr 20 2010;55(16):1713-20.
(The lead author, Dr. Myron Weisfeldt, is the William Osler Professor & Chairman of the Dept of Medicine at Johns Hopkins)
Adobe-Meadow
on Apr 16, 2013 at 3:10 pm
on Apr 16, 2013 at 3:10 pm
I also disagree with Another-Waste-Of-Money. AEDs, like vaccines and statin drugs, are shaping up to be a most cost-effective public health intervention. They can save a lot of lives for not very much money.
Here's what the American Heart Association says:
The AHA strongly advocates that all EMS first-response vehicles and ambulances be equipped with an AED or another defibrillation device (semiautomatic or manual defibrillator). The AHA also supports placing AEDs in targeted public areas such as sports arenas, gated communities, office complexes, doctor's offices, shopping malls, etc.
AHA also recommends that placement of AEDs in the community be coordinated with local emergency responders as part of an overall community defibrillation program (for tracking and maintenance support). You can search this information yourself at www.heart.org. More information is available via Medline Plus, the National Library of Medicine's consumer-level database (Web Link
Although CPR training is recommended, these devices are easy enough to use by people who haven't undergone CPR training. (It's just that it's nice to be familiarized with the machine *before someone is fibrillating.)
In summary: AEDs deliver great bang for the buck, Palo Alto can afford to pay for them, and if it is your loved one who might otherwise die without the help of an AED, making them widely available is a no-brainer.
Professorville
on Apr 16, 2013 at 5:18 pm
on Apr 16, 2013 at 5:18 pm
A "good" place to have a cardiac arrest is in a Las Vegas casino. They have surveillance cameras and AED's. So they can tell exactly how soon after a cardiac arrest the help arrives, the patient is defibrillated, etc.
The survival rate (with pretty much full neurological recovery--because otherwise you and your family might be better off is CPR a total failure) is about 50%.
But what happens in Vegas, in this case, does stay in Vegas.
Malls, theatres, events, etc., all should have these available. For the cost they can save lives.
I just wish the compression to breathing ratio was still 5 to 1...as one could retrofit the Doors Song Five to One as
Five to One Baby
One to Five
Very few here make it through alive
You compress yours baby,
I'll bag mine
Defibrillate 'em one more time
Defibrillate 'em one more time
Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:00 pm
on Apr 16, 2013 at 10:00 pm
@Another-Waste-Of-Money
It's true - sometimes AEDs need to be serviced - just like fire hydrants, fire extinguishers, and all the medical /emergency equipment in hospitals, ambulances and fire trucks. Infrastructure has it's costs. AED's are very inexpensive and highly effective. That's why you can find them at all the ranger stations in every national park in the US and in Canada. Even in the remote Northwest Territories. They save lives.
I hope you are never in need of any of the above services, and that you die in peacefully in your sleep at age 100. I also hope that, like the Grinch, something happens in your life that allows your heart to grow. Whoville is lovely. No reason to be so mad.
Professorville
on Apr 20, 2013 at 3:37 pm
on Apr 20, 2013 at 3:37 pm
Today, at Byxbee park I witnessed a young man get resuscitated by a park ranger using one of these devices. I was amazed at the speed and professionalism of the ranger and the paramedics, but with CPR alone it is doubtful he would be alive now.
It would be foolish to not have these devices in our public spaces, given their effectiveness and reasonable cost.
Midtown
on Apr 26, 2013 at 12:26 pm
on Apr 26, 2013 at 12:26 pm
This is a bit of an aside, but my personal difib device (ICD -IMPLANTED CARDIAC DEVICE)kept me alive long enough to call 911 for EMS to get to me. I think 5 minutes can be a hell of a long time.....
Duveneck/St. Francis
on Nov 2, 2013 at 1:57 pm
on Nov 2, 2013 at 1:57 pm
These AED's revived someone within the first two weeks of being installed in Palo Alto. I just took a CPR course which included AED training. Chance of the EMT reviving someone with an AED once they arrive is about six percent, whereas if you can use the AED within the first three minutes of cardiac arrest it is up to 70 percent chance of reviving them. Thank you Racing Hearts and the City of Palo Alto!!!