Long Island Fire District puts AEDs in members' cars

[x635 4,066]

Interesting idea.

Melville Fire District puts AEDs in members' cars

BY STACEY ALTHERR | stacey.altherr@newsday.com

May 25, 2008

When it comes to cardiac arrest, seconds count. The sooner a person receives help, the higher the chances of survival. In fact, the American Heart Association estimates, more than 95 percent of cardiac arrest victims die before reaching a hospital.

That's why the Melville Fire District has decided to blanket the community with automated external defibrillators - by putting 50 of the machines in its members' personal cars. As a result, the lifesaving equipment is closer to potential emergencies.

FULL STORY: http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/...0,7116923.story

[DMM8240 2]

If implemented right sounds life a great idea

[Guest CRASH]

If implemented right sounds life a great idea

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im curious what do these things cost

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

Is the cost of this program (somewhere in the range of $225,000 according to the article) worth the investment of the fire department? especially with the AEDs not have being used since they were purchased and the one or two lives that they might save a year?

[spin_the_wheel 460]

Is the cost of this program (somewhere in the range of $225,000 according to the article) worth the investment of the fire department? especially with the AEDs not have being used since they were purchased and the one or two lives that they might save a year?

Not for nothing but I think 2 lives are worth $225,00 a year, and Im sure their family members will agree.

[SRS131EMTFF 471]

It just seems like a waste of resources to outfit so many members cars with one of these devices.

[PC_420 28]

Better use of the money then what some of these Long Island FD's have been accused of using it for.

Like those viking castles they call fire houses.

[JohnnyOV 2]

It just seems like a waste of resources to outfit so many members cars with one of these devices.

waste of resources? they're not pulling the AED's from other areas, just purchasing more for their members. If your family member had a heart attack and went into V-fib, and an EMT showed up on-scene with an ambulance en-route, but had an AED ready to be used, wouldn't you feel a whole lot better about the emergency services in your town?

[OoO 24]

I think the practicality of this idea depends on the district. In my town, all of the police cars carry AEDs and in most cases the PD would arrive on the scene of an arrest before a POV could. I imagine that this is similar in Long Island.

I can see this as a much more practical solution in upstate NY where a police car or ambulance could be over 20 minutes away.

[JBE 328]

If it can be brought into play to better serve the community, then why not?? Sometimes it is easier to head to a scene instead of going to get the ambulance.

[ny10570 745]

How much a year for an ALS fly car? Early defib is great, but useless without early high quality CPR. How about a community CPR program? Seattle has a cardiac arrest save rate of over 2x that of NYC. The protocols are the same and response times for EMS about the same. The big difference is a remarkably larger portion of the population is trained in CPR and far more of their units arrive with CPR in progress. Its a cute idea but to put defibs in everyone's car, but far from cost effective.

[nycemt728 49]

ny10570, right on the money. Based on the 2005 changes, you are correct the money might be better spent on a CPR program. Depending on the size of the district, the chances of arriving in time where an AED is more useful than early and consistent CPR might be very minimal. W/O a doubt, if it saves a life, that is a great, great thing, but one can only help but wonder if it the large investment is really warranted.

[DMM8240 2]

It just seems like a waste of resources to outfit so many members cars with one of these devices.

i don't see the harm in it, the more AED's out there the more chance there will be of someone being in the right place at the right time.

[ONEEYEDMIC 68]

I didn't read the article does it say if they members would be or are keeping them in their vehicles? If so, they might have to worry about somebody stealing them out of the car. They could bring them in the house but then you have to worry about them not grabbing when in a hurry.

[weaselff 6]

It seems like a good idea, but I am always suspicious of any expense from an LI volly department. I guess its better than hiring another "custodian" or "mechanic", or worse a 100k rig for the racing team.

[spin_the_wheel 460]

It seems like a good idea, but I am always suspicious of any expense from an LI volly department. I guess its better than hiring another "custodian" or "mechanic", or worse a 100k rig for the racing team.

About 95,000 came from outside grants. Oh and whats wrong with hiring a mechanic or custodian? Guess its the lidsville thing.

[Guest alsfirefighter]

I'm usually one of the more skeptical ones and if they earmarked the money, got a bit of grant money to boot, and it enhances AED availability good for them. I can see this as successful being that there is an AED on the road and for the most part much more accessible in addition to CPR if they are somewhere and they have their car with them.

In fact I'd rather see more AED's in POV's then the water cans and set of irons I see more and more of.

Seattle also works because you can pretty much be anywhere in that city and be only a hundred feet or so from an AED as well. Putting the money into a community CPR program sounds great...but you have to get the people to come in and do it and it still doesn't mean that AED's are available for use at any given moment.

What's wrong with a custodian or mechanic? Nothing as long as they are custodians or mechanics and not a stop gap measure from hiring career staff.

[Guest MVFD334]

How much a year for an ALS fly car? Early defib is great, but useless without early high quality CPR. How about a community CPR program? Seattle has a cardiac arrest save rate of over 2x that of NYC. The protocols are the same and response times for EMS about the same. The big difference is a remarkably larger portion of the population is trained in CPR and far more of their units arrive with CPR in progress. Its a cute idea but to put defibs in everyone's car, but far from cost effective.

I Washington a state in which you have to be cpr certified to have a drivers license?

[NWFDMedic 58]

If they have the money and they have everything else, more power to them. When I was a volunteer EMT-I, our personnel had some of the corps' older AED's in their vehicles. They were not purchased for that purpose, but simply kept in service rather than being retired.

However, I would like to see this community be a bit more responsible and leave the grant money our there for communities that really need it.

[helicopper 1,050]

About 95,000 came from outside grants. Oh and whats wrong with hiring a mechanic or custodian? Guess its the lidsville thing.

Great, the elusive "grants". That means we're all paying for this one district's AED's.

Regardless of that minor issue, it is a good program and they should be applauded for their efforts. CPR would be a great addition to the program and hopefully it will be expanded to include that.

[Bnechis 3,961]

i don't see the harm in it, the more AED's out there the more chance there will be of someone being in the right place at the right time.

I think alot of the issue revolves around, the system, the needs, and the capability of the community/dept. This could be a great thing or a total waste of time.

We run about 125 codes/year and if we put 50 AED's out in cars it would have less effect than if the state mandated the 5 "Skilled Nursing Facilities" (Nursing Homes) to have and use them, since they account for over 50% of the codes. If the 5 largest private medical office buildings and 10 Sr. Citizen buildings (6 - 12 story) had them (and someone to use them) that would cover another 25%.

Thats 20 AED's to cover about 85 codes/yr.

Like I said, a lot depends on the system and the community.

I would hope in a few years they would be honest enough to report on the use, and sucsess of this program.

[mfkap 0]

waste of resources? they're not pulling the AED's from other areas, just purchasing more for their members. If your family member had a heart attack and went into V-fib, and an EMT showed up on-scene with an ambulance en-route, but had an AED ready to be used, wouldn't you feel a whole lot better about the emergency services in your town?

But what about the upkeep of 50 AEDs? There is the first question of who is doing the routine checks of them, if it is in a members trunk, are they pulling it out every day to check that it is OK? Who is doing the firmware updates to 50 machines? Who is checking that the pads aren't expired? Who is going to pay to replace the 50 batteries in a few years?

When you have the AED in an agency vehicle you can incorporate checks into daily routines. When they are in someone's trunk, who is accountable?

[ny10570 745]

I'd assume that they would be treated much like any other public access defibrillator. Inspect them annually and after each use. These devices are extremely low maintenance and really don't need daily checks.

[Guest paramedico987]

More AEDs is a good thing, period!

As long as it's not money that NEEDS to be spent elsewhere on something that's lacking, GO NUTS!

AEDs in private EMTs vehicles has been working in Lewisboro for nearly a decade now... last I herd it was 7 or so scattered around town.

If we can safely put these things in grocery stores, schools, and airports then we certainly can safely put them in the hands of certified EMTs. An untrained chimp could figure it out!

IMHO ALL mass transit vehicles, police vehicles, fire vehicles, and of course EMS vehicles should be AED equipped. It's ridiculous to me that Article 30, Part 800 hasn't been amended to require defibrillators on all ambualnces, especially since I use the defib more than I use the foil baby bunting! [and believe me they don't all have them!]