Grant provides eight life saving AEDs

March 25– In an effort to reduce the number of fatal cardiac events, Hardin County has been given eight automated external defibrillators designed to shock a malfunctioning heart back to life.

Hardin County recently received the eight units as a result of a $100,000 federal grant given to the Saint Thomas Chest Pain Network for the placement of full-rescue AEDs in rural communities.

An AED is a portable electronic device that automatically detects potentially life-threatening heart problems that require a shock to reestablish an effective rhythm. AEDs tell the rescuer when a shock is needed and how to give a shock–simple and easy.

If used within a few minutes of administering CPR, there is a good chance of saving the life of someone whose heart has stopped.

"Saint Thomas Health Services is proud to partner with Hardin County EMS which will allow us to further meet the needs of the Hardin County community," said Ranee Curtis, director of the Saint Thomas Chest Pain Network.

"For the next year, the Chest Pain Network will be working with Hardin County EMS to provide education on life-saving techniques. Our goal is to improve the care and outcome for cardiac patients, particularly in rural communities that have previously had little-to-no access to a defibrillator," she said.

Members of the Chest Pain Network are working with the Hardin County EMS team and Zoll Medical Corp, the AED equipment manufacturer, to identify the best locations for placement of the devices, such as emergency vehicles, fire departments and county buildings.

"Being in a rural community many miles from some of the larger medical centers, it is crucial for people to learn how to operate an AED as well as perform CPR in order to save the life and improve the outcomes of someone with cardiac arrest," said Hardin County EMS Director Stacy Wilson.

The $100,000 grant funded 14 recipients.