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November 1, 2003
"Defibrillator" Spells Hope, Public Power Magazine, Nov-Dec' 03
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Tim Blodgett
Hometown Connections
303-526-4515
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Hometown Connections
Sudden cardiac arrest (SAC) strikes nearly a quarter million Americans each year. For the best chance of survival, the victim should receive a shock from a defibrilllator within 5 minutes. Today, fewer than 5 percent survive, largely because defibrillators don’t reach victims in time. And, the risk of SCA is higher in the electric utility industry than in the general population because of the potential for worker contact with high voltages. A severe electrical shock can cause SCA.
That’s why public power communities are adding portable defibrillators, known as automated external defibrillators (AEDs), to their inventory of health and safety products.
Today’s automated external defibrillators weigh less than five pounds and are the size of a hardcover book. Their compact size makes it easy for almost anyone to carry an automated external defibrillator quickly to a victim of sudden cardiac arrest. The most advanced automated external defibrillators are fast and simple to use, with minimal device training. They are programmed to analyze heart rhythms quickly, recognize rhythms that need defibrillation, provide visual and voice prompts, and to administer a shock only when appropriate. Virtually anyone can be trained to use an automated external defibrillator.
With the aid of Hometown Connections, public power utilities are giving their employees the power to save a life by purchasing Philips HeartStart Defibrillators; including the Philips HeartStart OnSite, or HeartStart FR2+ Defibrillator. The HeartStart OnSite is lightweight, easy-to use, and specifically designed for the minimally trained lay responder. The HeartStart FR2+ is a portable, easy-to-use, and rugged automated device. Members of the American Public Power Association save up to 35 percent on HeartStart Defibrillators and accessories when purchasing them through Hometown Connections. A subsidiary of APPA, Hometown Connections supports APPA members by securing national group pricing and service arrangements from Philips Medical Systems and other suppliers.
“Hometown Connections only represents the products of reliable, best-in-class suppliers,” said Tim Blodgett, president and chief executive officer. “We determined that Philips, the global leader in early defibrilllation, offers the most complete and trusted solution in resuscitation. Philips HeartStart Defibrilllators are safe, easy to use and reliable, allowing people to treat sudden cardiac arrest quickly and effectively wherever it occurs.”
Alabama agency distributes equipment to member cities
In 2003, the Alabama Municipal Electric Authority donated two HeartStart FR2+ Defibrillators to each of its 11 members. After seeing a demonstration of the FR2+, the AMEA board voted to purchase 23 of the units—two for each member utility and one for AMEA’s office.
“In sudden cardiac arrest, restoring the heartbeat quickly—in the first three to four minutes—is critical,” said Robert W. Claussen, president and chief executive officer of AMEA.
“The AMEA board of directors is presenting two Philips HeartStart FR2+ Defibrillators to each AMEA member because the lifesaving potential of these devices is well documented,” Claussen said.
“I think distribution of these units and the power to save lives throughout AMEA’s service area is one of the most gratifying community efforts of which I have been a part,” said Alexander City Mayor Donald F. McClellan, a member of the AMEA board of directors. “The AMEA board hopes this initiative of two units per AMEA member will either add to the units already available or be a catalyst to place these units strategically throughout the AMEA service area.”
To get the project under way, Tom Bartels, AMEA’s director of marketing and special projects, contacted each AMEA member, asking them to arrange for a medical director/physician to write a prescription for the purchase and use of automated external defibrillators. In addition, Bartels asked each utility to appoint an automated external defibrillator coordinator on staff, who would be responsible for determining where the automated external defibrillators would be placed and to arrange automated external defibrillator training for the staff. Next, Margaret O’Dell, AMEA’s senior communications representative, worked with each utility to prepare press releases and arrange press conferences. Then, the presentation of the automated external defibrillators to officials of each AMEA member was combined with a press conference, during which Bartels gave a demonstration of the HeartStart FR2+ and took questions from the floor.
“We were very pleased with the coverage of the presentations in the local print and broadcast media,” said Bartels. “In many communities, the presentation received front page coverage in the weekly, semi-weekly, or daily paper. There were numerous radio news stories. And in at least one instance, the story was covered on the evening TV news.” Three AMEA members have purchased additional AEDs, and several others are reserving funds for AEDs in their upcoming budgets.
Rugged and able to stand up to temperature extremes and wet conditions, the HeartStart FR2+ is designed for harsh, outdoor, or mobile use. It combines natural sounding voice instructions that are loud and clear, with text prompts on a large, bright back-lit display. The easy-to-follow voice prompts guide a rescuer through the defibrillation process.
Cardio pulmonary resuscitation—the skill taught for decades in Red Cross first aid courses— alone is not sufficient to correct ventricular fibrillation of the heart muscle, which occurs when the heart quivers or beats erratically and is unable to pump blood to the body. Only the application of electric shock can restore the heart to a normal rhythm. The HeartStart FR2+ can be equipped with a data card that records information concerning the patient from the start of care until the patient is handed over to medical personnel, giving them a record of events related to the patient’s condition.
Following a demonstration of the FR2+ at an APPA meeting, the Kerrville, Texas, Public Utility Board decided to purchase 10 of the units. According to Sam Snead, manager of marketing services, Kerrville donated nine of its 10 automated external defibrillators for use by county emergency responders, adding to the units the county already has in the field. The utility is keeping one FR2+ on its premises.
“Rather than placing the automated external defibrillators on utility vehicles, we decided our immediate priority is to support the fire department and emergency medical teams that are more likely to encounter sudden cardiac arrest victims by adding to their inventory of Philips AEDs,” said Snead. The utility’s goal is to have 75 automated external defibrillators dispersed throughout the county. With the 10 purchased by the utility, the county now has 25 in place.
“Bill Smart, our Hometown Connections sales representative, made it very easy for the Kerrville PUB to purchase the FR2+ units from Philips,” Snead said. “In addition to securing the APPA member discount pricing, Bill was always able to get us in touch with the right people at Philips, to help us complete the required paperwork, and to make sure the whole process of acquiring the units went smoothly from beginning to end.”
Naperville buys 35 debibrillators
The city of Naperville, Ill., purchased 35 HeartStart FR2+ Defibrillators with optional data cards for placement in all types of utility vehicles (bucket trucks, vans) and in the four centers that make up Naperville’s electric, water and wastewater facilities. Red Cross CPR/AED and first aid training is administered by utility safety employees. Nearly 500 of Naperville’s utility and public works employees have received the automated external defibrillator training to date, with re-certification required annually.
“We have a long history of deploying aggressive, state-of-the-art safety programs,” said Allan Poole, Naperville’s director of public utilities. “The incorporation of defibrillators within our safety program is a natural progression for us. As we look to take advantage of 21st century technologies and innovations in all utility operations and procedures, we feel an obligation to provide our employees and our community with the very best defibrillators.”
“The endorsement of Hometown Connections of the Philips equipment and the Hometown Connections discount for APPA members were very important to our decision to select the FR2+,” he said. “We are confident that we purchased a high quality life-saving product at the best possible price.”
Since Hometown Connections began marketing the Philips HeartStart Defibrillators in the summer of 2002, 35 APPA member utilities have purchased a total of 250 units plus accessories. These members range in size from serving 900 to 1.5 million customers.
Written by Susan Ryba. She handles marketing for Hometown Connections.
Visit Philips Medical Systems for more information.
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