From American Heart Association:
Lifesaving Defibrillation Program Announced for the Tarrant County Area
FORT WORTH, Texas, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting in February, employees and visitors in Tarrant County government buildings, as well as in several area cities, will have a better chance of surviving a cardiac arrest because of newly installed automated external defibrillators (AEDs). The AEDs are part of a new public access defibrillation program that was recommended by the American Heart Association. Special recognition of Tarrant County and area cities that have purchased and placed AEDs in public locations will occur at a news conference at 9 a.m., Tuesday, February 12th, at the Tarrant County Administration Building, 100 E. Weatherford, in Fort Worth.
``The American Heart Association applauds Tarrant County, Arlington, Colleyville, Crowley, Euless, Fort Worth, Haltom City, Mansfield, River Oaks, Southlake and Westover Hills for being a model community for the state of Texas. These cities and the county have approved and purchased AEDs for public buildings faster than any other large metropolitan county in Texas,'' said Tim Carter, Chair Elect of the American Heart Association's Fort Worth Division.
In addition, the rest of the cities in Tarrant County have equipped their first responders, either fire, police, or both, with AEDs. An AED is a self-contained apparatus that accurately analyzes cardiac rhythms and administers an electric counter shock, if appropriate. AEDs have been in widespread use by emergency medical technicians for a number of years. A logical extension of the AED concept is public access defibrillation or the widespread distribution and use of AEDs by non-medical people. Many commercial airplanes are equipped with AEDs, but the American Heart Association would like to see more at places where people gather or work, such as airports, casinos, corporate offices, schools, shopping malls, stadiums and commercial office buildings. The proposal, approval, purchase and training process began last summer.
Participating cities and the County expect to have AED equipment in place and personnel trained by the end of February. Cities placing AEDs in public buildings include Arlington, 15; Colleyville, 3; Crowley, 1; Euless, 2; Fort Worth, 20; Haltom City, 2; Mansfield, 6; River Oaks, 1; Southlake, 2, and Westover Hills, 1. The County will install 46 AEDs in its buildings in downtown Fort Worth as well as in its public buildings throughout the county. Cardiac Science Inc. won the bid to provide Tarrant County and the City of Fort Worth with 66 AEDs for public buildings and an additional 10 AEDs for Sheriff patrol vehicles.
``The decision by Tarrant County and the City of Ft. Worth to create a public access defibrillation program demonstrates their unwavering commitment to the health and safety of its citizens,'' said President and CEO Raymond W. Cohen. ``For our part, Cardiac Science is committed to assist in this important initiative.''
``AEDs are safe and easy to use, making it possible for non-medical people to provide rapid defibrillation. It is possible for someone not trained in the use of an AED to save someone's life. Each unit will be easily accessible by the public and will be prominently identified,'' explained Dr. John Griswell, medical oversight of the AEDs in public buildings.
Every year about 250,000 people suffer cardiac arrest and only about 5 percent of them survive. Most events are caused by abnormal heart rhythms called arrhythmias. The most common arrhythmia that causes cardiac arrest is ventricular fibrillation. In this condition, the heart's electrical impulses suddenly become chaotic. When this happens the heart stops abruptly, the victim collapses and quickly loses consciousness. Death usually follows unless a normal heart rhythm is restored within a few minutes. Defibrillation, which means delivering an electric shock to the heart, is the only known treatment to restore the normal rhythm. For every minute defibrillation is delayed, the victim's chances of survival are reduced 7 to 10 percent.
Governments and private companies throughout Tarrant County have begun installing AEDs after the Texas Legislature recently passed legislation, known as ``the Good Samaritan law,'' that provides limited liability for non-medical AED users. According to research by the American Heart Association, public access defibrillation programs throughout the nation could help save as many as 50,000 lives per year.
The American Heart Association spent about $382 million during fiscal year 2000 - 2001 on research support, public and professional education, and community programs. Nationwide, the organization has grown to include more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters who carry out its mission in communities across the country. The association is the largest nonprofit voluntary health organization fighting heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases, which annually kill about 950,000 Americans. For more information about heart disease and stroke, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit our Web site at americanheart.org .
Cardiac Science (Nasdaq: DFIB - news) is a public U.S. Corporation that develops, manufactures and markets life-saving automatic external cardiac defibrillator devices and proprietary disposable defibrillator electrode pads that monitor and treat patients who suffer life-threatening heart rhythms. The Company recently gained FDA clearance for its low-cost, second generation defibrillator-monitor, the Powerheart® Cardiac Rhythm Module (CRM(TM)). The Powerheart CRM is a fully-automatic bedside defibrillator-monitor that continuously monitors hospital patients at risk of sudden cardiac arrest, instantly detects the onset of a life-threatening tachyarrhythmia, and, when appropriate, delivers defibrillation shocks within seconds and without human intervention to convert the heart back to its normal rhythm. Powerheart® and Survivalink®-brand automated external defibrillators (AEDs) along with Artema®-brand emergency defibrillators and patient monitoring products are marketed in the United States by its 45-person direct sales force and by international distributors in more than 40 countries around the world. For more information, please visit www.cardiacscience.com . For investor information please visit www.allencaron.com .
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