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PUBLIC
ACCESS DEFIBRILLATION COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP
Almost 500 thousand deaths per year in the United States are
attributed to sudden cardiac arrest and nearly half of those
deaths occur outside hospitals. The American Heart Association
has developed a “Chain of Survival” that describes the necessary
elements for a community to improve a patient’s chances of
surviving sudden cardiac death. The 3rd link in the
chain is Early
 Defibrillation.
Time to defibrillation (an electrical shock to the heart) is
a critical variable for improving the chances for a successful
resuscitation. For every minute that passes before the first
shock is delivered, a person’s chance of survival is
reduced by 10%. This time to the first shock can be shortened by
placing Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in
public buildings, senior centers, stadiums, the workplace and
other locations where large numbers of people gather. An AED is
a small portable electronic device that analyzes the heart’s
rhythm and tells the user to deliver a defibrillation shock only
if it is needed. These AEDs are designed for anyone to use with
minimal training. The San Ramon Police Department carries AEDs
donated by the Fire District in their vehicles and all high
school students in the district will receive CPR and AED
training. The Fire District will also now include AED training
in the Heartsaver CPR classes offered to the public. To expand
this lifesaving capability to the rest of the community, a
committee has been formed to foster the placement of AEDs
throughout the community.
Called the San Ramon Public Access Defibrillation Community
Partnership, the program has representatives from San Ramon
Valley Fire District, Police Departments, the Contra Costa
County Emergency Medical Services Agency, San Ramon Regional
Medical Center, and the American Heart Association to encourage
and assist in the placement of AEDs in our Community.
Information packets on how to implement an AED program are
available at the Fire District Administration building. These
packets include documents about frequently asked questions,
regulations, trainers and AED vendors. The information can also
be found on the Contra Costa County’s Emergency Medical Services
website:
www.cccems.org/pad
By working together we can strengthen the “Chain of Survival”
for sudden cardiac arrest. For more information on the San Ramon
Public Access Defibrillation Community Partnership contact Andy
Swartzell at (925) 838-6618. or
aswartzell@srvfire.ca.gov
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