|
Mammoth Lakes on the way to becoming the first “Heartsafe” ski resort |
|
|
Monday, 26 November 2007 |
By Stacey Powells
Mammoth Times Staff Writer
 This is what the AED “box” looks like, just in case a cardiac emergency arises and you find yourself having to save a life.MAMMOTH TIMES PHOTOS/SUSAN MORNING
Today Fultz is alive and doing well because the AED machine was available and close by. “Being at the event and witnessing what took place started me thinking about the question, 'What if someone elsewhere in town had the same experience, would they be able to survive?'” Barrett said. Barrett wondered what it would take to have the AED machines placed all around town like they have at airports and casinos and so the process began.
He started to investigate how Mammoth Lakes could become a “Heartsafe Community” and how to fund the endeavor. Being a Town Council member at the time, Barrett asked that an item be placed into the Town's budget to begin such a program. “Our fiscal year budget for 2006 included $15,000 to begin phase one of this important project.”
Barrett eventually met with Mammoth Hospital Emergency Room Manager Lori Baitx and at that point, Neil McCarroll was also asked to be on the committee. “When the incident happened at the mountain and David was in fact saved by the AED machine, Tony wanted to see the machines placed all over town,” Baitx said. “He contacted Gary Myers, who contacted me for the project. Tony and I met with Chris Hummel, M.D., CPR Coordinator Kathy Romanigno and Craig Knoche from Search and Rescue.” The group gathered information, medical documentation and the feasibility of installing the machines in strategic locations all over town. Knoche put together a PowerPoint presentation of other towns that have AED machines and included it in part of the presentation it to the Town Council.
They found that the AED machines should be placed within 500 feet of each other to ensure timely activation on a cardiac patient. The AEDs are “dummy-proof. “If you can read, you can use the AED,” Barrett said. The AED will not initiate an electrical charge unless the patient is experiencing a “cardiac event.”
Barrett went to the Village Neighborhood Company and they committed to paying for two AEDs. They also discovered they needed to have funds for the installation so community members Dave Harvey, John Vereuck and Shields Richardson donated $1,200 collectively and the town put in the other $1,200 for the installation kits.
Patrick Duggan from Mammoth Hospital was brought in to handle the financing issues regarding the AEDs. “Lori Baitx brought me the quotes for the machines and they looked reasonable,” Duggan said. “I called Phillips Medical Systems and asked the sales representative to help us out with our town becoming a 'Heartsafe Community'. They connected me with Julianne Brawner who was involved with setting towns up with the AEDs and had several community profiles to share with us.” Brawner helped Mammoth Hospital with the policy and procedures to make sure we were going to be in compliance with Title 22 (California Code of Regulationss for Pre Hospital Emergency Services). The sale of the machines included the site assessments as well as data management after an event where an AED Machine was used. “There was a whole support system behind us when we bought these machines,” Duggan said. Duggan hopes that Mammoth Lakes will become a nationally known “Heartsafe Community” in the not to distant future.
As previously stated, the AEDs can be used by just about anyone. If you come across someone who might be experiencing a cardiac event, you simply remove the garments from their chest, open the AED box, remove the machine and pads and look at the box where in pictures it shows where to place the pads. You then turn on the machine and then step away. “The machine reads the cardiac rhythm. If it is in distress then the machine automatically charges up and the patient receives a charge,” Barrett said. “The machine will continue to read the rhythm and charge until a heartbeat is restored and maintained, giving First Responders time to arrive and take over patient care.” There are also child pads on all units.
So far the machines are at the following locations:
l Minaret Mall inside the Mall near Minaret Cinema
l Suite Z – Town Council Chambers
l Town Offices
l Sierra Center Mall
l Mammoth Mall
l Mammoth Chevron
l U.S. Post Office
l Perry's Italian Restaurant
l Grand Sierra Lodge
l White Mountain Lodge
l Lincoln House
Snowcreek Athletic Club and the Body Shop are required to have AEDs. The two fire stations have them, and there are two AEDs that MLPD officers carry with them in their units.
Barrett will be going to Town Council meetings to request second stage funding to provide machines at the library, Community Center, Whitmore Pool, the Ice Rink, High School gymnasium, MHS football field, Whiskey Creek and Slocums Restaurants. “My goal is to have AEDs placed every 500 feet throughout the commercial districts of town,” stated Barrett.
Every place where there is an AED requires the owner, manager, employee or at least one person on property to be CPR certified. Check Mammoth Hospital for CPR course times.
|
|
Last Updated ( Thursday, 29 November 2007 )
|
