Madison, Oneida, Herkimer County Companies May Submit Application
(Utica, NY – Sept. 2014) In an effort to save the lives of persons suffering sudden cardiac arrest in the workplace, EMS Global is seeking Mohawk Valley businesses that would like to receive a free Automated External Defibrillator (AED). EMS Global’s third annual Operation HeartStart is geared to companies employing fewer than 100 people, noted EMS Global Executive Director David Ronan.
“The application process is easy,” he said. “Just tell us who you are and why you should be considered.” Interested businesses and organizations in Herkimer, Oneida and Madison counties may request an application by contacting Ronan at315-717-3189 or at dronan@emsglobal.org.
Using CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and an AED dramatically increases the survival rate of a cardiac victim, Ronan said, especially in the first critical minutes before first responders arrive.
An AED is a portable device that checks the heart rhythm. If needed, it can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm. AEDs are used to treat sudden cardiac arrest, a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. Sudden cardiac arrest usually causes death if it’s not treated within minutes. In fact, each minute it’s not treated leads to a 10 percent reduction in survival.
Operation HeartStart is one of EMS Global’s initiatives to bring public awareness to the importance of learning CPR and the use of an AED. “On average in the U.S.,” Ronan noted, “just 6.4 percent of sudden cardiac arrest victims survive. However, communities with comprehensive AED programs that include training of people in both CPR and AED use have achieved survival rates of 65 percent or higher. Making AEDs more available to lay responders trained in their use simply saves more lives.” He added that survival rates in Las Vegas casinos are surpassing 70 percent, and the University of Massachusetts in 2006 revealed a 75 percent survival rate for sudden cardiac arrest.
Deadline for applications is Oct. 17. The winning company will be announced on Feb. 13, 2015 during Heart Month.
EMS Global will donate the AED, Ronan noted, with the expectation that the business will have some of its staff or employees trained in CPR and in using the AED. Previous recipients were Studio 55 in Yorkville in 2012, and Utica’s Polish Community Club in 2013.
EMS Global Inc. is a non-profit organization that has been headquartered in the Mohawk Valley since its inception in 1993. Its mission is to assist globally in the modernization of the delivery of emergency medical care. Among its services, EMS Global offers CPR and AED training in upstate New York, played a key role in improving emergency medicine in Poland, and is looking to expand its efforts to assist other areas in Europe and South America.