(Concord, Calif) — American Medical Response, The 9-1-1 emergency ambulance service provider for Contra Costa County has donated 9 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to the Brentwood Union School District. An AED is a portable electronic device used to restore a heart rhythm during a heart attack or sudden cardiac arrest.
When a cardiac emergency strikes, using this life saving device partnered with CPR is crucial for reviving a victim. AMR strategically placed these devices in 9 elementary schools to fulfill the company’s ongoing effort to limit deaths associated with SCA.
According to the SCA foundation, every day, 1,000 people are affected by cardiac emergency in the United States. The victims that die from SCA are roughly equivalent to the numbers who die from breast cancer, HIV and suicide combined. SCA strikes people of all ages and often without warning. Although most SCA deaths occur in adults, SCA is also the leading cause of death in young athletes and can strike children participating in normal everyday activity.
With the help of AMR, the Brentwood Union School District has AEDs in all 11 schools.
“The Brentwood Union School District is proud to be taking a lead in housing an AED in all of its schools, and is very appreciative of the generous donation of the devices by AMR.” Says Greg Hetrick, Director of Student Services.
“These devices are capable of changing the outcome of a life or death situation,” said Alicia Moore, Community Outreach Coordinator for AMR of Contra Costa County. “A victims chance of survival depends on immediate intervention by a bystander or first responder” says Moore.
AMR donates 25 AEDs per year throughout Contra Costa County. Each AED ranges between $1500 and $2000 in cost. The program was implemented in 2005 to raise awareness and assist in developing a heart safe community. AMR continues to educate the public by providing a combination of CPR training and AED donations throughout the county.
For more information on the AED donation program, please contact Alicia Moore at (888) 267-6591×6
About American Medical Response
American Medical Response Inc. (www.amr.net), America’s leading provider of medical transportation, provides services in 40 states and the District of Columbia. More than 18,000 AMR paramedics, EMTs,RNs and other professionals work together to transport more than 3 million patients nationwide each year. AMR’s Contra Costa County division employs over 350 professionals and transports over 60,000 patients annually. The company is a subsidiary of Envision Healthcare Corporation, which is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colo.
