The county could be in for a shock as its automated external defibrillators need to be replaced. At approximately $1,300 each, the county has 10 to 12 of them.
According to a letter from Cardiac Science, the makers of the devices, the county’s existing ones are outdated and the company will no longer offer support for them including replacement pads and batteries.
“We got a letter from Cardiac Science,” said EMS director Brian Jennings to members of the county’s Safety Committee. “The letter said that as of Jan. 1, 2016 they are going to stop support and sale of pads and batteries for these particular devices. They are over 10 years old. We’ve got to start looking at replacing those. When the batteries die, we can’t get replacements.”
The county has a program called PAD (public access to defibrillation) and three of its AEDs are located at Warren County Senior Center, Warren County Courthouse and Warren County Administrative Offices.
Jennings says first-responders at the county’s fire departments also have them.
An AED is used in case of sudden cardiac arrest, and quick defibrillation could mean the difference between life and death. As many as 450,000 people annually fall victim to sudden cardiac arrest, including children.
“I told Brian to look for any grant that we might get to replace those,” said Safety Committee chairman Teddy Boyd.
There is an Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program that will be available for fire departments and emergency medical service organizations. Jennings says he is “getting all his ducks in a row” to apply for that grant if it funds the replacement cost of defibrillators.
Senior Center director Connie Smith says they are required by law to have one.
“We are mandated by law to have one,” she said. “We appreciate the county providing one to us and we appreciate its continued support by attempting to find funding for new defibrillators. I hope they are successful. We don’t have the funds to purchase one.”
No committee decision was made. Members opted instead to wait and see about the grant.