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February 23, 2011 (San Diego’s East County) -- San Miguel Fire District will add 20 Automatic External Defibrillators to its life-saving arsenal.
“The addition of the AED’s will provide critical care in a much more expedient manner,” said Leonard Villareal, spokesperson for the District. “Eighty percent San Miguel’s calls are medical aids. This additional equipment will be vital in helping to make such incidents more survivable for all members of the community.”
An Automatic External Defibrillator is a portable electronic device that automatically diagnoses the potentially life threatening cardiac arrhythmias or ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia in patients. If necessary the AED is able to treat the person through the application of electrical therapy, which stops the arrhythmia, allowing the heart to reestablish an effective rhythm.
Funds from the Federal Emergency Management Act (FEMA) fire grant will allow the District to place the AED’s on brush, truck, rescue, Office of Emergency Services and staff vehicles.
San Miguel Fire District’s Division Chief of Operations, Gary Croucher, who applied for the grant, says his goal is to have the AED’s in place in thirty to sixty days.
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