The North Jefferson County Ambulance District will provide local schools, churches and businesses with automated external defibrillators (AEDs), which are used to help people experiencing cardiac arrest.
Chief Jaime Guinn said the district used $80,000 from the $21 million bond issue voters approved in August 2022 to purchase 40 AEDs, which arrived at the district’s headquarters on Jan. 2.
Other bond issue revenue is being used to replace aging, outdated equipment and increase community safety, Guinn said.
He said the district will identify the places in the community that will benefit from the AEDs and then distribute them.
“We’re doing a community AED program with the bigger and busier locations in our district to increase safety,” he said. “We’re going to place (the AEDs) in a lot of different locations and do free CPR training for the location to try and save lives. We will schedule (the classes) once we get the AEDs installed in the locations.”
Guinn said the AEDs could potentially save lives.
When used on someone experiencing cardiac arrest, the medical device analyzes the heart’s rhythm and can deliver an electrical shock to establish an effective rhythm.
Guinn said victims of cardiac arrest only have four to six minutes before brain damage can occur due to a lack of adequate oxygen intake. If CPR is performed and a defibrillator is used within a few minutes of cardiac arrest, permanent brain damage can be avoided.
“If we have a cardiac arrest, and one of these AEDs is being utilized when our ambulance arrives, instead of having to replace patches and do all the different things, they simply can unplug and plug in our cardiac monitors and continue patient care with decreased time,” Guinn said.
As part of the AED program, the ambulance district also offers free CPR training for residents at the district’s headquarters, 3131 Rock Creek Road, in High Ridge or at schools, churches, businesses or other places where people want to take the training. According to its website, the district also holds first aid and babysitting preparedness classes.
“If anybody would like to have CPR training or any type of educational classes for any group in the community, they can give us a call and we’ll work with them to set that up,” Guinn said. “Having (the AEDs) out in the community and having CPR training and AED training at those locations will increase life safety for our community.”
The district covers about 32 square miles in the Fenton and High Ridge areas.
For those interested in the CPR class or other courses, call 636-677-3399 or email admin@njcad.com.